Perfect Strangers
by Dream of Autumn
Summary: Li Syaoran is forced to marry Kinomoto Sakura to regain control of the family company. After making a horrifying discovery on their wedding night, Syaoran soon realizes that there is more to his new wife than what meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura. Clamp does.

 **Author's Note:** _December 27, 2016._ To all my dearest readers, I've been re-reading the story and found the first three chapters too short. Hence, I decided to merge Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Did nothing major.

* * *

 **PERFECT STRANGERS  
** _Dream of Autumn_

 _i._

Li Ye Lan sat on the high-backed chair as she reviewed the terms of the contract Li Corporation intended to draw with a supplier. It was among the responsibilities she was handling in the absence of her son. Li Xiao Lang, the incumbent CEO and President of the Board of Directors, was allowed to enjoy two months of vacation, a privilege granted to him just three months ago. The last his mother heard of him, he was in South America exploring the Andes.

 _Xiao Lang_ , the thought of her son brought a smile to Ye Lan's lips. The vacation was truly well deserved. Xiao Lang had been working almost non-stop since taking on the company five years ago. Under his able leadership, company profits doubled much to the pleasure of the Board. He was Ye Lan's pride and joy.

Bitterly, she thought of her deceased husband. _If only you could see our son now, my husband_.

Her moment of reverie was broken by a seemingly urgent knock on the door.

"Come in."

The office doors opened and in entered two of her cousins-in-law. Dropping any kind of formalities and greeting, Li Kang Ming went straight to the table and threw an envelope in front of Ye Lan, none too gently. His brother, Li Ah Shen, stood behind him looking grave.

"Ye Lan, we've lost the company," Kang Ming declared.

Ye Lan's eyebrows met. "I beg your pardon?" she hissed.

Kang Ming exhaled forcefully. "We've lost the goddamn company," he repeated, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Disbelieving, Ye Lan turned to Ah Shen, who remained silent.

"Yes, I heard you the first time but for the love of Buddha will you please explain yourself?"

Kang Ming composed himself and breathed. Shaking his head, he began "The Li family no longer holds the majority of the company shares."

"Preposterous! Ah Shen, what in the world is your brother onto—"

"It's true," Ah Shen confirmed, speaking for the first time. "It's true."

Ye Lan gaped at the two.

Kang Ming sighed as he sat down. Within a minute, he looked as if he aged by a decade.

"The Lis are supposed to hold 70% of the company shares," Kang Ming began.

"I know Kang Ming… very well, I know," Ye Lan prodded her cousin impatiently.

"Of that 70%, half belongs to your son, Li Xiao Lang. Twenty two percent belongs to Li Chien, while the remaining 13% is divided between my brother and myself."

"Kang Ming—"

"Well, the thing is, as of today, we discovered that the remaining 30% had been held by Amamiya Corporation alone since January."

Ye Lan froze. Thirty percent. Thirty percent of the company was owned by a lone outsider. Amamiya Corp holding the second largest share of the company.

"What?! But isn't the thirty percent owned by six other companies?"

"It was," said Ah Shen.

Ye Lan took notice of the past tense. "Was?"

Kang Ming could only nod.

"Still, that doesn't make any sense of what you're trying to say. Majority of the shares still belongs to my family."

Ah Shen shook his head. "No. Not anymore."

Ye Lan's brow furrowed.

"Ye Lan, as of last week, Amamiya Corp bought the 22% of shares owned by Li Chien."

The words came to Ye Lan in slow motion. The moment the message hit her, she felt as if the world stopped. _No!_ "If Amamiya bought the 22%, that would raise their share to—"

"Fifty two percent."

Ye Lan felt as though somebody punched her in the gut as the truth dawned on her. The company, her family's company, her son Xiao Lang's legacy, now belongs to someone else. "No! This isn't true! This cannot be!"

"Ye Lan—"

"How in the world did this happen? How could Amamiya do this?" Ye Lan was practically shrieking.

"Ye Lan calm down."

"Do not tell me to calm down Ah Shen! My son works himself to death for this forsaken company and somebody dares try take this away from him!" Ye Lan screeched.

"Ye Lan, I know how unfair this is to you, to us," Kang Ming tried pacifying her. "But Ye Lan, Amamiya Corp is willing to sit down and talk."

"What do they want?"

"Apparently, the President is willing to negotiate… for a price."

"And what would that be?"

"He wouldn't tell us. He wants to talk to Xiao Lang, him being the President of the Board. But seeing he isn't here—"

"Well tell him that if he wants to talk, he better come here!"

"There's no need, Madam." The three Lis turned in surprise as somebody spoke.

The new speaker was a tall man with honey brown hair, calculating dark eyes, and an easy smile standing by the door. Seeing the stunned look on their faces, the man smiled. "My apologies for the intrusion. The door was open when I arrived."

Smoothly, he made his way to the seething Ye Lan, positioned himself between the Li brothers, and unabashedly extended his hand in greeting.

"I am Kinomoto Fujitaka, Madam Li, President of Amamiya Corporation."

If there was one thing Li Ye Lan was not, it was trusting. And not for one second did she think of trusting Kinomoto Fujitaka. As handsome the man was for someone his age, the glint in his eye and malice in his smile made it close to impossible for Ye Lan to do so. Ye Lan's lip twitched every time the man smiled.

Kinomoto Fujitaka did what Li Kang Ming had said. He asked for a private conversation with Li Ye Lan about the company. Seeing she had no other choice, Ye Lan willed herself to be alone with the man. She had offered, quite hesitantly, the man coffee but this he refused.

"As of this very second, Amamiya Corporation owns the majority of your company's shares. More than half of it," he sneered as he leaned casually in his seat.

The twitch in Ye Lan's lip was back.

"I have been thinking of what I am going to do with the shares my company currently owns. Firstly, I am considering asking control of the company, you see. That seems to be sensible."

Ye Lan clenched her fists, resolute on remaining silent until Kinomoto Fujitaka finished with what he has to say.

"Or maybe, I could take it all away. But that may just leave the company bankrupt."

He smiled once more. It took all of Ye Lan's strength not to strangle the man on sight.

"Or… I could give it all back to you."

Ye Lan blinked. "You would?" Her question was clouded with suspicion. No one in their right mind would go through buying more than half of a company's shares only to give it all back to the true owner.

The smile on Fujitaka's lips widened. "I would, mind you."

Ye Lan narrowed her eyes. "Surely not without a price."

Fujitaka laughed.

Ye Lan's clenched fists trembled with fury.

"From one businessman to another, of course it comes with a price," Fujitaka concurred. "There is after all, no such thing as _free_ in this world. Everything has to come with a price. I know how important this is to your family, Madam Li. But this is also important to me."

"What, may I ask, are you asking in return, Mr. Kinomoto?" Ye Lan couldn't help but notice the edge in her tone.

Fujitaka sneered. "I have two children, Madam Li. One son and one daughter. Early this year, my son and heir Touya married your niece Mei Ling."

 _But of course!_ Ye Lan recalled she was unable to attend Mei Ling's wedding. One of her daughters had given birth that very day and she had to run to Fuu Tie's side.

"That was how I convinced Li Chien to sell me his shares."

The Li matriarch pursed her lips, trusting that if she didn't the man in front of her will not hear the end of it.

"My daughter, on the other hand… For the shares of the company, Madam Li, I am asking that my daughter marry into your family."

 _What?!_ "Mr. Kinomoto!"

Fujitaka finally let go of all decency there is. "Yes, Madam Li. I want nothing less." The glint in his eyes was evident.

"You have crossed the line—"

"Have I?" Fujitaka seemed to enjoy seeing Li Ye Lan livid and scandalized. "Well, if it isn't too much to ask, I think your son would suit my daughter just fine."

* * *

Thousands of miles away from Hong Kong, Li Syaoran woke up to the shrill ring of his phone. Beside him, his lover untangled herself from him and covered herself with sheets in an attempt to mute out the noise. Blindly, Syaoran reached for his phone expecting it in its usual place on the bedside table for easy access. This morning, however, his fingers could only feel smooth, hard wood.

Grunting in annoyance as his phone continued to ring, he stood and began his search, finding his phone on top of the refrigerator.

 _This better be important._ He had strictly instructed his mother, the only person he gave his roaming number to, to only contact him as a matter of life and death.

"Li Xiao Lang," he greeted, his voice hoarse.

"Come home now. We need to talk," were the only words his mother said before hanging up. He stared at the phone scowling.

 _What in the world…_

In three hours, Li Syaoran found himself at the airport with a ticket back to Hong Kong. With little difficulty, he said goodbye to his one-night lover, who pouted and tried seducing him to reconsider his departure. Women were all the same, he thought. They make you feel what you want to feel. They say things you want to hear, all to get what they desire: him and his body. Syaoran smiled to himself ruefully, knowing he was no different than the women mingled with. He wanted them and their bodies just as much.

However, he was not one who sought long-term relationships. Casual encounters were his thing. Furthermore, he only did it overseas, away from the prying eyes of the people in Hong Kong. His family enjoyed an almost celebrity status there but Syaoran preferred keeping the personal aspect of his life private.

The flight back home was long and tiring for Syaoran. He hadn't intended to come back for another two weeks. But for his mother to tersely demand his return, he figured he had to brace for the worst.

Their family butler, Huang Wei was already waiting for him as when he got out of the airport and within an hour, he was already standing in front of the Li family estate.

"Master Xiao Lang, welcome home!" his nanny Hong Yuan greeted him by the foyer. "It's a surprise to see you so soon!"

Syaoran gave the woman an affectionate smile and shrugged. "I missed you so bad I had to come back earlier than planned," he jested as he hugged her.

"Xiao Lang."

He turned and saw his mother standing a good five meters from him. Li Ye Lan's brown eyes, which usually looked at him with pride, were stony and impassive. With a slight movement of her head, Ye Lan motioned for her son to follow her. "In the study, my son." She turned on her feet and proceeded to enter the said room.

Amber eyes followed his mother's retreating figure.

Yuan clapped his back. "Go. She's been waiting anxiously for your arrival."

With a nod, Syaoran followed his mother. He found her sitting behind the table and allowed himself to be settled on the seat in front of her.

"I am very happy to see you well, my son. How was your trip?"

Syaoran frowned. "Ma Ma, let's go straight to the point. I wasn't supposed to return for another two weeks. What is it that you want to talk about?"

Ye Lan gave him a sad smile. "The family lost control of the company."

Syaoran stared at his mother with uncomprehending eyes. Of all the reasons he assumed to be behind his recall, this was the most far-fetched. Never did he consider this. It was almost impossible to believe. Syaoran felt his anger rise.

"Ma Ma, this is no time for jokes. I travelled halfway around the world because you wanted to talk to me. Now here I am jetlagged and exhausted and you are telling me this?!"

Ye Lan pursed her lips before composing herself. Explaining to her son what happened will not be a quiet walk in the park. "You cannot be any more surprised than I was when your uncles informed me three days ago. It so happened that everything happened… right under our noses."

Her son shook his head.

"Last year," Ye Lan began. "A Japanese company bought all 30% of the company shares not held by the family."

"What? But aren't those owned by—"

"They were," the matriarch cut him off. "Until Amamiya Corp bought them all."

Syaoran scowled. "I still don't understand."

"Then early this year, your cousin Mei Ling married a certain Kinomoto Touya."

He nodded, having attended the ceremony itself. Kinomoto Touya, a Japanese businessman, had been Mei Ling's boyfriend for two years before the pair decided to take their relationship to another level and got hitched.

"Little did we know, Kinomoto Touya's father had begun negotiating with your Uncle Chien to buy the 22% of shares your uncle owned. Just recently, he succeeded."

"But how does that—"

"Kinomoto Touya's father is the President of Amamiya Corp."

Syaoran was stunned into silence. A pindrop would've been loud.

"Now, he owns basically half of the company."

"The devil!" Syaoran stood, understandably enraged. "Who does he think he is?! He would have to kill me first before he takes control of Li Corp. Ma Ma, we can't allow him to take what belongs to us!"

Ye Lan looked away. "I know, Xiao Lang. I… have met and talked to the man."

"And?"

"He… shared his insights as to what he plans to do considering his position."

"He has no right!" he contested hotly. "To hell with what he has! The company belongs to us!"

Ye Lan silenced herself.

Frantic, Syaoran knelt before his mother and took her hands, pleading. "Ma Ma, there has to be something that we could do!"

His mother sighed. "Kinomoto Fujitaka has given us his options and has expressed his willingness to give it all back."

Syaoran stopped. "What?"

Ye Lan gripped her son's hands tightly. "Only if you marry his daughter."

A moment of silence passed. Ye Lan saw the different emotions passing through Syaoran's eyes that were so like her own: anger and disbelief.

"No… Like hell I will!" Syaoran hissed and stood, trembling with rage. "I know what kind of game that man is playing, Ma Ma! And let me tell you, two can play that game!"

With that he walked out of the room, shutting the door with a loud bang.

In her newfound solitude, a pleased yet sinister smile fell on Li Ye Lan's lips.

"You show him, my son. You show him nobody messes with a Li."

* * *

Hiiragizawa Eriol was quietly spending his weekend at his apartment. He relished living alone, having no one to bother him while he took advantage of the time away from work. His job as a resident surgeon in one of Hong Kong's busiest hospitals took most of his time. The life of a medical practitioner, as rewarding as it may be, was indeed exhausting. He was about to retire to the comfort of his bed after a grueling 48-hour shift when the doorbell rang. Eriol had the urge to pretend he wasn't around and simply ignore whoever was on the other side of the door. But in the end, his conscience won and soon he found himself face to face with his visitor. The young doctor blinked in surprise.

"Xiao Lang?"

His cousin gave him a pained smile as he let himself in.

"Hey."

"I thought you were still on vacation," he asked, confused.

Syaoran sighed as he plopped himself on the sofa. "You got some whiskey?"

Eriol raised his brows. "You do realize it's still eleven in the morning."

"And your point is?"

"It's way too early to be drinking."

Syaoran grunted and stood, making his way to his cousin's bar, which he knew would never run out of alcohol. Eriol sighed as he sat down on the sofa. After a few minutes, Syaoran returned grinning, two glasses of liquor in his hands. He gave one to Eriol, who grudgingly accepted.

"Let's make a toast, shall we?" Syaoran proposed, raising his glass.

"A toast for what? Your safe return?" Eriol chuckled as he brought the alcohol to his lips. This earned him a glare.

"A toast… to my upcoming marriage!"

Eriol sputtered. Syaoran smirked in satisfaction as he sipped his own glass.

"You? Getting married?" Eriol looked at him with disbelief.

"You're my best man, of course," Syaoran told him as-a-matter-of-factly.

Eriol did the one thing he thought was the most appropriate thing to do: he laughed. Syaoran was expecting it, having known his cousin for most of their lives, yet his laughter annoyed the hell out of him.

"Yeah right! That'll be the day!" Eriol chortled. His laughter died when Syaoran remained silent.

"Does that mean you refuse to be my best man?"

Eriol looked at him agape. "Xiao Lang, you cannot be serious!"

There was a reason why Hiiragizawa Eriol and Li Xiao Lang were best of friends. They knew and understand each other well and better than any of their own family members could. For Li Xiao Lang to jump into marriage hastily having had no steady girlfriend for as long as Eriol knew him was beyond the latter's comprehension.

Syaoran finished his glass in one gulp and shook his head. "I'm afraid I am." He stood up and helped himself to a second glass.

This left Eriol flustered. "Hold up! Are you telling me that during your few months overseas, you met one amazing woman who gave you the time of your life, so amazing that you just couldn't let her go and decided to make her your wife?"

Syaoran smirked. "Good guess but it's a lot more romantic than that, actually. The President of Amamiya Corp forced me to marry his daughter."

Exhaustion was creeping up on Eriol so badly that he had trouble grasping the words spoken. "I'm sorry? What was that again?"

"Hiiragizawa, I'm only going to say this once so don't make me say it again." And with that, Syaoran told him of the things that had transpired.

Eriol blanched. "Xiao Lang, that's—that's insane! You actually agreed to what the man wants?"

"If that's what it takes to get my company back, I can play his game," Syaoran resolved. "If he thinks he has me wrapped in his claws, he's mistaken. If he thinks he can mess with me or my family, so help me, his daughter will pay dearly."

The look in Syaoran's eyes turned feral. Eriol could only wish that the Kinomoto girl knew what she was getting herself into.

* * *

Syaoran left Eriol's apartment a few minutes past one in the afternoon, granting his cousin his much-needed break. The rest of Syaoran's afternoon was spent driving aimlessly through the streets of Hong Kong. He was nearing the Chinese border and could've sworn he would have driven straight to China had his mother not call him at around five. Hesitantly, Syaoran turned his car around and returned to the city. He wondered if he had become somewhat allergic to his mother's calls. The last couple of times he was summoned, nothing good had ever come out of them.

"You called for me, Ma Ma," he asked warily when he entered his mother's study.

"Xiao Lang," she greeted him and stood. He felt her hesitation. In an instant, he knew that whatever his mother was about to say will only leave him indignant. "Kinomoto Fujitaka came this afternoon, said he wanted to meet you."

Syaoran resisted the impulse to snort. "What for? Surely he didn't come to see if we could start bonding as father-and-son-in-law." He asked sarcastically.

Ye Lan set her mouth. The thought of having a man like Kinomoto Fujitaka related to them repulsed her. _That man could be the grandfather of my Xiao Lang's children._ She inwardly shuddered. "No. He wanted to tell you—us that he wants the wedding within a month."

"A month?" he echoed in a whisper.

"Yes," Ye Lan's reply came out in a hiss. "The sooner you got married, the sooner he could give the company back. Or so he says."

Ye Lan allowed some time for her words to sink in as she watched her son's face paled.

"Son of a bitch."

Ye Lan cleared her throat, her eyes on Syaoran's trembling clenched fists.

"He also wants to inform us that he will be back in two weeks," she told him monotonously. "And he'll be bringing his daughter for us to meet."

Syaoran raised his eyebrows incredulously. "I must prepare then. We wouldn't want to disappoint Miss Kinomoto, would we, Ma Ma? I wouldn't want every effort go to waste should she find me unattractive."

The Li matriarch frowned. "You speak as if you want to go through with this—this foolishness!"

"Don't worry, Ma Ma. I know what I'm doing," he assured her.

This did nothing to placate Li Ye Lan's worries. "I hope so, Xiao Lang. The last thing we need right now is for Kinomoto Fujitaka to make us look stupider than we looked when he pulled the wool over our eyes."

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Author's Notes:**

(1) Don't get me wrong. I adore Kinomoto Fujitaka. He is such a perfect man and I sometimes can't help but envy Nadeshiko for marrying him. But sometimes, for the sake of my wild imagination, I let myself get carried away. ( _evil laugh_ )

(2) For the next chapter, Syaoran and Sakura finally meet.

(3) Thank you, thank you to all those who have reviewed, put this story in their alerts, favorited this story, and appreciated my other stories. You inspire me to continue writing. I would've updated sooner but I still have my exams last week so I had to prioritize. Mind you I was itching to update and it's all because of you guys, so thank you! Feel free to message me anytime!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of its characters.

 **Author's Note:** _December 27, 2016._ To all my dearest readers, I've been re-reading the story and found the first three chapters too short. Hence, I decided to merge Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Did nothing major.

* * *

 **PERFECT STRANGERS  
** _Dream of Autumn_

 _ii._

Eriol watched with uninterested blue eyes as men and women entered and left the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. He wanted to kick himself right where it hurts for putting himself in the situation he was in at that moment. It was his much desired rest day once again. But instead of enjoying a shuteye, he volunteered picking up the guests of his Li relatives from their hotel and bring them to the family estate, much to the surprise of his cousin. Syaoran gave him the dirtiest look when he told him before leaving that he wanted to check his "future wife" out before the former could. But seeing Syaoran would rather drink poison than spend his precious moments with his fiancée and her father, Eriol's gesture was very much welcomed.

They were set to meet at 6:00 in the evening. He had already asked the receptionist to ring the Kinomotos and inform them of his presence yet there was no sign of the father and daughter. A good ten minutes had already passed. He was already contemplating on leaving when a deep masculine voice came by his shoulder.

"Mr. Hiiragizawa?"

He turned. A man with honey brown hair and dark eyes wearing a crisp grey suit stood in front of him. "Kinomoto Fujitaka," he introduced himself, offering his hand.

Eriol extended his own hand and shook the man's outstretched one. His grip was firm, Eriol noted– a sign of confidence.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sir. I am Hiiragizawa Eriol, a cousin of Li Xiao Lang. My cousin wishes to extend his apologies for not being able to pick you up personally. Something urgent came up and he had to attend to it immediately," he explained, silently hoping the man would accept his white lie. There was no need to let the man know of the truth. The man cannot honestly expect Syaoran to be the gushing groom-to-be considering the circumstances of the engagement.

Dark eyes regarded the navy-haired man and Kinomoto Fujitaka smiled. The sentiments of his dear Aunt Ye Lan was mirrored by Eriol. There was something unsettling about the way the man smiled.

"It's no problem. I would be more surprised if a busy man like Mr. Li would be able to come here and meet us himself. This is my daughter," he turned and prodded someone to come forward. A woman stepped into Eriol's view and he had to suck in his breath.

"Kinomoto Sakura," the woman bowed in introduction.

Instantly, Eriol was enthralled. Kinomoto Sakura, with her layered honey brown hair, creamy smooth skin, captivating green eyes, innocent smile, and dulcet voice, looked every inch an angel in her white dress. _Some rotten luck Xiao Lang has._

Eriol had to hide his disappointment. The Japanese girl did not offer her hand. Had she did, Eriol knew he would have kissed her small, ladylike hand if he wasn't able to help himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she greeted.

"The pleasure is all mine," Eriol smiled back, bowing back.

To his right, Fujitaka cleared his throat. Eriol had forgotten the man was present.

"Shall we go now?" he asked with narrowed eyes. Clearly, Fujitaka was not fooled.

Tensely, Eriol nodded and led his family's guests to the waiting limousine that would take them to the Li estate. To Eriol's disappointment, Fujitaka seated himself between Sakura and Eriol. He had intended to engage the young woman in a conversation but the possibility of doing so in her father's presence seemed ominous. And so not a word was spoken until the party reached their destination.

* * *

There could be no one in the world that Syaoran hated more than Kinomoto Fujitaka.

The moment he stepped out of the car, Syaoran swore he loathed him on sight. The moment he opened his mouth, Syaoran wished Fujitaka had never been born. He had an air of someone who was used to having his way—someone who would do anything to get what he wanted. It resonated in the way he held himself, the way he stood, the way he spoke. Even in the way he looked at you. He was someone, Syaoran could tell, who would not compromise. The longer he spent time with the man, Syaoran could only feel deepening resentment.

His daughter, the other hand…

Kinomoto Sakura had been nothing but a disappointment to the business magnate. He had been dismayed to find that she was quite "easy on the eyes", so to speak—far from the hideous image he had conjured up in his mind weeks ago. He hated the fact that her eyes were a beautiful shade of green that contrasted wonderfully with her silky light brown hair. He was incensed by the way his body reacted whenever he caught her casting furtive glances at him, her dark, long eyelashes come-hither as she looked away guiltily, caught. And when Eriol made it clear that he liked Sakura, it infuriated Syaoran even more. The one instance he, Eriol, and Sakura found themselves alone in the dining room, his darned cousin had the nerve to offer himself in Syaoran's stead "should she find him not to her liking". Syaoran threatened to throw Eriol out of the house when the latter's smart-ass remark earned him a giggle from the girl. Syaoran found it hard to admit that he found the sound of her laugh "pleasant".

Syaoran's irritation was further fueled when her wretched father took it upon himself to brandish how accomplished his daughter was in every opportune moment as introductions were made. How Sakura finished top of her class when she obtained her Business Administration degree from the University of Tokyo. How Sakura is a consummate pianist. Ye Lan had to ask her to play the family piano, Syaoran knew, to disprove Fujitaka's claim. The Li matriarch openly scowled when the young woman perfectly played her requested piece. How Sakura was able to speak four different languages fluently. _Sakura this, Sakura that…_ As if Syaoran gave a damn. Yet all throughout, the Kinomoto girl kept silent, only speaking when spoken to.

Dinner was uneventful, apart from Fujitaka rambling on about the wedding preparations. There were only two weeks left before the wedding, and from what Syaoran could deduce, everything had been taken cared of. With the ceremony to be held in Hong Kong, the only thing left for the Lis to do was to show up.

Sipping on his glass of red wine, Syaoran turned to his betrothed. "So, I take it you're excited for our wedding, Sakura?" he winked.

Surprised from the sudden attention and his forwardness, Sakura blushed… hard. Syaoran smirked, contented with the reaction he drew. _Score: One for Li Xiao Lang._ Amber eyes drank in the sight of the blushing maiden. _This is going to be easy._

Fujitaka frowned. "My daughter is not used to someone she just met calling her by her first name. Japanese tradition."

Syaoran raised his brows, his eyes training on the brunette. "I apologize then… Miss Kinomoto."

Sakura shook her head, quickly turning a shade redder. "No, it's okay—"

"But, of course, since you will be her husband," the words came out from Fujitaka's lips in a drawl. "It is expected that you will be addressing each other like any normal married couples do."

In an instant, the smirk was wiped off Syaoran's face.

 _Score: One for Kinomoto Fujitaka._

* * *

Dinner was over. Eriol and Syaoran asked themselves to be excused to take an alcohol break at the patio of the mansion, leaving the Kinomotos to converse with Ye Lan regarding wedding preparations and other matters of concern. Syaoran knew he was supposed to be there but he felt he needed to get away from the suffocating atmosphere Fujitaka was creating with his presence. How his daughter could manage such kind of company, he didn't know. _Then again_ , the thought came to Syaoran, _birds of the same feather…_

"So… what do you think of her?" Eriol began.

Syaoran quirked a brow. "Sakura? She's that man's daughter, what do you expect?"

Eriol wiggled his eyebrows mischievously. "But you have to admit she's a looker."

True, the girl was quite pretty. He had to give her that. But the fact that Sakura resembled her father was enough to drown Syaoran's admiration for her. "I've seen better-looking women."

Eriol laughed. Syaoran can be the most stubborn person in the world. Truth be told, Kinomoto Sakura was right up Eriol's alley rather than Syaoran's when it came to women. He liked them sweet, angelic and a tad reserved. Syaoran, on the other hand, was drawn more to fierce, exotic looking women. Still, a man will always be a man. And him being Syaoran's best friend, he knew what lay beneath those covert glances the Li scion makes when he thinks nobody was looking.

"She's hot," Eriol pointed out.

A sly smile touched Syaoran's lips at the memory of the Kinomoto girl's smooth thighs. He had caught a glimpse of her naked skin when she crossed her legs, her skirt hitching up giving Syaoran an ample peek of her slender limbs. He had to thank his lucky stars Fujitaka was not around that moment. Buddha knows what he would've done should a smug look came to Fujitaka's face if he saw Syaoran looking at his daughter the way he did.

Syaoran shrugged, feigning indifference.

"So what's your plan, then?"Eriol tried changing the topic.

"You heard the man. There's no other way to get control of the company back. I have to marry her," Syaoran said monotonously.

"I wish I had your problem," Eriol teased. He was met with tense silence.

"I don't trust her," Syaoran declared in a low voice. "I know she's up to something. There's something in the way she acts, the way she moves."

"The way she stares at you? Like the way you stare at her?"

A shiver ran through Syaoran when he remembered the way those green eyes held his hazel ones. He had never met someone who held so much power with their eyes. Her eyes were like magnets designed to draw you and keep you in place. Compelling yet dangerous at the same time.

"I don't stare at her," Syaoran gritted his teeth, shifting to defensive as he felt the heat rise to his cheeks. He had unceremoniously forgotten Eriol knew him that well.

"Uh-huh," Eriol seemed to disagree, grinning.

Syaoran resisted the urge to flip him his middle finger. "I know her father put her up to something. And when I find out what it is, there will be hell to pay!"

"Your wedding is in two weeks," Eriol reminded him. As powerful and influential Syaoran was, Eriol doubted he could stop whatever Fujitaka was planning in the span of time left. _If_ there were indeed any plans as Syaoran claimed. Sometimes, being powerful and influential comes second to being cunning and manipulative.

"Like I didn't know that!" Syaoran growled.

Eriol's eyebrows furrowed. "So, you tell me that you're going to push through with the wedding, snoop around for whatever the Kinomotos are planning, and when you find out, you throw your wife out of Hong Kong and redeem the Li name?"

Syaoran all but snarled the word. "Exactly."

Eriol shook his head. "I don't know, Xiao Lang. But I think you're treading on dangerous waters."

Exasperation was taking a toll on Syaoran. "I didn't ask for any of this, Eriol! All I want is the company, _my_ company back where it belongs. It's not called Li Corp for nothing."

Eriol could only sigh in resignation. As someone who veered away from his family's world of business, he figured he had little right to be critical of Syaoran's feelings. And as a medical practitioner, he learned that one should be empathetic to your patients to be effective. He tried imagining himself in his cousin's shoes. If someone, for a price of marriage to one who was completely unknown, tried to take away his right to practice as a physician, something he worked on so hard for many years… Eriol shuddered and thought of his cousin's position once more. Fujitaka must consider himself fortunate to still be alive.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck then. Because I think you're going to need it—one way or another."

The two fell into a moment of silence before deciding to go back to the house. When they did, they headed for the Li matriarch's study, unaware of the pair of green eyes that watched their retreating back and the pair of ears that heard every single word they said.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Author's Note:**

(1) Next chapter will be Sakura's story. Read and review!

(2) What kind of girl Sakura will be? Naïve and innocent? Or wily and calculating? Hmmm… No promises ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of its characters.

 **Author's Note:** This is the first part of Sakura's (and the Kinomoto family's) story. I tried writing everything in one chapter but as I progressed, the chapter was getting longer and longer. So I decided to split Sakura's story into two. And I guess it makes sense to present Sakura's story in two chapters because the events here precedes the events in Chapter 4. Read and review!

 **Author's Second Note:** _December 27, 2016._ To all my dearest readers, I've been re-reading the story and found the first three chapters too short. Hence, I decided to merge Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Did nothing major.

* * *

 **PERFECT STRANGERS  
** _Dream of Autumn_

 _iii._

It was one busy Friday at the Amamiya Corp. Vice President Kinomoto Touya had just finished a meeting with the Sales Department when his secretary's voice came in his desk intercom.

"Kinomoto-sama, Kinomoto Mei Ling-sama is here to see you."

A smile touched Touya's lips at the mention of his wife. He and Mei Ling had only been married for less than a year, but to Touya, it felt like it had been forever. After going through a dark time in his life, Mei Ling had been his saving grace. She was instrumental in bringing back the happiness he thought he had lost forever. Despite their almost similarly strong personalities, they managed to make their marriage work.

Mei Ling visiting him in his office was not usual, but nor was it rare. Her visits were always a welcome distraction to Touya's day. Despite the fact he had many things to attend to, he found no reason to hurry whenever she was there.

"Let her in," was his reply. In seconds, the door to his office opened and a woman with straight black hair and bright ruby eyes walked in.

Touya stood up to meet his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a sound kiss on the lips. "Can't get enough of me, can you?" he teased, grinning like a lovesick puppy.

Mei Ling poked him on the side and smiled as her husband closed the distance between them. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm actually here for a reason," she said, enjoying his warmth.

"Really? And what would that be?" he asked huskily, nibbling her ear.

Mei Ling sighed with pleasure, biting her lower lip. "It's about your sister."

The hot and heavy atmosphere that was beginning to build up around the couple suddenly dissipated. Touya's ears perked up and he looked at his wife straight in the eye. "Sakura?"

Mei Ling pouted at the sudden change. Nevertheless, she nodded. Her eyes looked at the crease that was beginning to form between Touya's eyebrows. He was always on his toes when it came to his sister.

"Maybe it's better we sit this one down," Mei Ling suggested, pulling him to the couch.

Once the two of them were seated, Mei Ling began. "Touya… have you heard recently from Sakura-san?"

Touya shook his head, thoroughly confused.

"So, I'm guessing you have no idea that Sakura-san is engaged?"

The furrow between Touya's brows deepened. "Engaged?" he repeated incredulously, sounding as if it was the first time he heard the word. "That's—that's ridiculous! Mei Ling, Sakura doesn't even have a _boyfriend_ , let alone a fiancé!"

Ruby eyes blinked. "I-I received a call this morning… from my Uncle Kang Ming."

Touya's memory drifted to a tall, greying man with strong brown eyes and he nodded.

"Apparently, Fujitaka-san went to Hong Kong to meet with my relatives to arrange the engagement," Mei Ling carefully chose her words. _Touya doesn't need to know the real story behind his sister's engagement._

Touya stayed quiet as he absorbed what Mei Ling told him. Then, he shook his head. "No, that's impossible. Otou-sama would never do that." Mei Ling looked at him questioningly, challenging him. Truthfully, Touya knew that what he said was a total lie. He knew his father well to know what he was capable of doing.

"Well, it's either that or Sakura-san has been carrying on a relationship none of us knew about," Mei Ling said.

That put Touya in a pensive mood. "You know… you haven't told me who my sister is supposed to be marrying."

Beside him, Mei Ling stiffened and turned silent. Her heart was beating so wildly, she wouldn't be surprised if Touya heard it. She knew that her husband's reaction won't be pleasant when she told him who Sakura was to marry.

"Mei Ling…" Touya's eyes narrowed.

"W-well, from what Uncle Kang Ming told me, Sakura-san will be marrying my cousin," she answered, her voice an octave higher than normal.

"And who exactly is this cousin of yours?" Touya demanded through gritted teeth. Mei Ling's relations were numerous.

Mei Ling gulped, turning pale. "Xiao Lang."

Touya felt himself shake with restrained anger as the image of his wife's relative came to mind.

 _They were at their wedding reception, enjoying the celebration of their union. The bridal bouquet had long been contested and had ended up in the hands of Tang Xiu Yan, Mei Ling's childhood friend and a Hong Kong socialite. It was the time to throw the bridal garter. After enduring the jeers of their well-wishers, Touya had managed to remove the garter from his new wife's long leg. With his back to a number of bachelors made up of his and Mei Ling's friends and family, he threw the band. The crowd erupted with a cheer. He turned and saw a tall, brown-haired man looking smug as he held the garter. A meter away from Touya, Xiu Yan blushed heavily._

 _Slowly, the brown-haired man walked towards Xiu Yan smirking, twirling the white band around his finger. He knelt down in front of the girl, who sat on a chair with her leg extended. With a wink, the man slipped the garter on Xiu Yan's leg and began to move it upwards very slowly. When the band reached her thigh, the two stood up. Unexpectedly, the man tipped Xiu Yan and swooped in for a kiss on the lips as the crowd went wild._

 _Touya stared disapprovingly at the brown-haired man, who high fived a navy-haired man after pulling his stunt._

" _Mei Ling, who was that?" he turned to his wife._

" _Who? The one who caught the garter?"_

 _Touya nodded in affirmation._

" _That's my cousin, Xiao Lang," Mei Ling informed him. "He's the family company's CEO."_

" _I see," was his terse reply as he continued to glare at his new cousin-in-law. CEO or not_ , _Touya thought, he's bad news to me._

Mei Ling kept silent as she rubbed his back to soothe him.

Touya shut his eyes and began to breathe deeply in an attempt to subdue his rage. He was going to talk to his father afterwards.

After Mei Ling left, Touya struggled to concentrate on his work. The news his wife brought continued to linger in his mind and many questions plagued him, seeking answers. _Why did_ _Sakura agree to marry that brat? Does she even know him that well?_ The sister he knew was not shallow. It would take more than good looks or infinite wealth to tempt Sakura to marry.

 _Unless…_ Touya clenched his fists. Heaven forbid Sakura was pregnant. While Touya thought this was beyond impossible, if his sister was, and by some stroke of misfortune the Chinese brat was the father, he would gladly drag him to the depths of hell and imprison him there.

When the clock struck five, Touya stormed out of his office ignorant of the astonished looks on his employees' faces. They were not used to seeing their boss leave the office that early. As soon as he hopped inside his car, Touya skidded out of the company driveway and headed for his childhood home, where he knew his father was resting having just arrived from Hong Kong that day.

He found his father inside his office, gazing longingly at his deceased wife's picture. The elder Kinomoto looked up when he heard someone entering the room. At the sight of his son, his face broke into a smile.

"Touya! This is a surprise! What can I do for you, my son?" Fujitaka greeted Touya, putting the frame down.

"Otou-sama, we need to talk," Touya said.

Still smiling, Fujitaka prompted him to continue. "I am all ears."

"Sakura's getting married." There was no question in Touya's words.

The smile on Fujitaka's face widened. "I see you've heard the wonderful news. Mei Ling must have told you then."

"I don't see anything wonderful about it," Touya spat.

Fujitaka's eyes widened a fraction in surprise at his son's reaction and he shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not yours to judge, Touya."

"Why did Sakura agree to marry that man?" Touya demanded.

His father seemed to consider the question for a moment before revealing one tiny detail. "Sakura doesn't know yet."

Black eyes widened with shock. "What do you mean she doesn't know?" Touya snarled. "How could she be engaged if she doesn't know?"

Fujitaka inhaled deeply. "Touya, as your father, it is my responsibility to make sure that my children are well taken care of. Through the help of your good father-in-law, I have found a suitable man for Sakura."

Touya was at a loss for words. Sakura's sudden engagement finally made sense to him. "You…"

"I only want the best for my children, Touya," Fujitaka said in earnest.

Touya's temper flared. Shaking his head, he told his father, "Otou-sama, I let you meddle with my life before. I won't let you do that to my sister."

"Why Touya, I didn't know you regret marrying Mei Ling?" his father challenged.

"This is not about Mei Ling!" Touya fumed, his body shaking with anger. "This is about you and your interference with our lives!"

"Touya, I only do what I know is best for you and your sister. I _did_ what I knew was best for you! If I hadn't step in, you will still be obsessed with that—that woman!" Fujitaka hollered, spitting the last word with revulsion.

Touya saw red. "You leave Kaho out of this!" he growled.

"If I hadn't step in, you will not have met Mei Ling—"

"You put me through hell before I met her! I will not let you put Sakura through the same hell—"

Touya's words were cut off when his father's hand connected to his face, the slap reverberating inside the room.

"That is enough, Touya," Fujitaka said with finality. Walking to the chair behind his office desk, he sat down and regarded his son coolly. "When you become a father, Touya, you will understand why I am doing this. You have no idea what I had to go through to raise you and your sister alone, making sure you had the best of everything."

The young man did not answer, his clenched fists still trembling.

Fujitaka continued, "In time, Touya, you will see that I am right. And I will always be right."

His lecture was cut short by a knock on the door. A head of auburn poked inside the room and green eyes widened as they took in the scene.

"Onii-chan!" Sakura expressed her surprise to see him at the house. Touya remained silent, unwilling to look at his sister in the eyes. His father's confession rang in his ears. _Sakura doesn't know yet._

Getting no response from her brother, Sakura's eyes shifted warily to her father. "Otou-sama, Rika-chan said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Ah yes, I did! Come in, Sakura! Touya was just about to leave, weren't you, son?"

Touya nodded curtly before turning on his heels and brushing past Sakura as he walked out of the door. As he drove off, he felt the left side of his face throb. His father's blow was going to leave a mark the next day. Mei Ling was going to have a fit. When he arrived at their house, he let out a sigh of relief when Mei Ling called to tell him she'll be going out with her friends and will not be expected to come home until late in the evening. In an attempt to prevent his face from bruising, Touya headed for the freezer and took out a frozen pack of meat, pressing the icy package against his left cheek.

As he lay in bed that night, he thought about his father. He had to admit that if it had not been for his machinations, he would not have met Mei Ling. And he will probably be forever grateful for that. But considering everything he went through—the depression, the suicide attempt, the hollowness of getting through the day breathing but not living—Touya would not wish it on anybody. Especially not his sister. She was far too precious to be toyed with.

Drifting to sleep, he thought about his mother and the promise he made on her deathbed. Remembering this, Touya's resolve became stronger.

 _Sakura, just as I promised Okaa-sama, I will do everything in my power to protect you._

* * *

Kinomoto Mei Ling woke up the following day to find her husband's side of the bed empty. She frowned. While Touya was the early riser between the two of them, he usually waited for her to wake up so they could start the day together. Waking up to find him gone made Mei Ling miss her husband. She had gone out the previous evening with her friends from work and went home at midnight. By the time she arrived home, Touya was already asleep. Slipping her robe, she went downstairs to look for Touya and found him sitting, in deep thought in their garden.

She smiled and lightly tapped his shoulder in greeting. "Hey!"

When he didn't look up, her smile fell.

Sensing something was amiss, she crouched down in front of him, only to gasp when she saw his face.

"T-Touya! What happened?"

The left side of her husband's face was swollen and bruised. Mei Ling reached out to touch his face only to withdraw her hand when Touya winced the second her fingers made contact with his raw skin.

"It's nothing, love," Touya tried to reassure her, holding her hands. Concerned ruby eyes searched his black ones. "I-I accidentally hit myself… hard… with the refrigerator door last night. I didn't turn the lights on… so it was pretty hard to see."

A crease formed between Mei Ling's brows and her eyes continued to probe his in question. Touya silently hoped Mei Ling would buy his flimsy excuse, or at least drop the questions. He hated lying to her. But to do so was, at the moment, a necessary evil.

Much to his relief, Mei Ling simply squeezed his hands and said, "If you say so."

Mei Ling, however, saw right through him. At around ten in the morning, while Touya was in the shower, she quietly slipped out of the house and drove to her intended destination. In fifteen minutes, she found herself inside the Kinomoto mansion asking to speak with her father-in-law.

* * *

Sakura sat in her father's office. In front of her lay documents that told her all about her fiancé. _Fiancé._ A shiver ran through Sakura. The previous night, after she saw her brother storm out of the house, her father told her that she was, as of that very moment, engaged.

To say that she was surprised was an understatement—a very big understatement. Before that day, Sakura has not had a single boyfriend nor had she even gone out on a date. Her father made sure of it. He explicitly forbid that she socialize with any male, aside from him or her brother without his approval. Those who dared seek his permission were all graciously rejected. While Sakura silently wondered why, she brushed it off and simply assumed it was because her father was unwilling to let her go. Thus, Sakura was convinced that she would grow old single and alone. She resigned herself to the life of a dutiful daughter taking care of her widower father until his dying breath. All of that, however, irrevocably changed the day Fujitaka arrived from his trip to Hong Kong.

The moment her father broke the news, a stunned "What?" was the only thing she could manage to say.

But she knew her face, eyes wide and confused, told her father all he needed to know of what she really thought and felt. The severe expression on Fujitaka's dark eyes did not soften. Yet his smile grew.

"Your fiancé comes from a very respectable family, Sakura," he reassured her. "His name is Li Xiao Lang. He is actually the cousin of your sister-in-law, Mei Ling," her father told her proudly, expecting her to be pleased. "You might have seen him during Touya's wedding. Currently the CEO of the family company. One of the richest men in Hong Kong. He can give you everything you want."

Sakura froze when she heard the name. _Li Xiao Lang_. She remembered him. How could she not? He was the man who caught the garter and made a scene with the girl who caught the bouquet. She could distinctly remember the distaste on Touya's face when he tipped the young girl and kissed her. Handsome and rich as he was, Sakura would certainly not have chosen the likes of him to be her husband. Like she needed someone that rich. She was very much capable of making money for herself, thank you very much.

"B-but Otou-sama, I don't understand. How—"

"Sakura, you don't need to know how or what happened," Fujitaka insisted, unyielding. "What's important is by the end of the month, you will be Li Sakura."

Sakura's blood ran cold as she gaped at her father. _A month?! That soon?!_

"B-but Otou-sama—"

"You don't have to worry about the wedding, Sakura. It's all been taken care of."

She was trying to convince him, albeit feebly, that she wanted to decide things as big as this for herself. But, in fear that her father might chastise her, she instead blurted out, "What if he doesn't like me?"

Fujitaka sneered menacingly. "He doesn't have a choice."

And so, Sakura lost another battle that she refused, out of fear, to wage.

From the time her beloved mother passed away, Kinomoto Fujitaka dictated everything that went on in his only daughter's life. From the schools Sakura attended to the friends she mingled with. He pushed—insisted that she should always have the top grades in her class. That one time when she fell to second place, Fujitaka forbid her from associating with her friends other than her cousin Daidouji Tomoyo. He had her study English, French, Spanish, and Chinese, and practically forced her to learn how to play the piano—all because this was what he deemed "appropriate" for someone of her stature. Even the course she took in college was her father's choosing. She initially wanted to become a teacher, inspired by Touya's ex-girlfriend Mizuki Kaho. Her father, however, would have none of it.

Not only did he dictate everything for her, he demanded perfection in everything she did.

And now, her father defined what perfection was for him in the man he wanted his daughter to be with for the rest of her life.

Sakura continued to stare at the picture of her supposed fiancé, gazing at the amber eyes that seem to burn through the picture. She was lost in contemplation when a soft knock brought her out of her thoughts and Rika, their maid, entered. "Sakura-sama, Mei Ling-sama is here to speak with Fujitaka-sama."

Immediately, Sakura stood up. She barely had time to stash Li Xiao Lang's files when her sister-in-law came barging into the office.

"Good morning, Mei Ling-san," she greeted her brother's wife.

Mei Ling's eyes fell on the file on top of the table. Sakura felt herself go red. _Does Mei Ling-san know about me and her cousin?_

"Otou-sama is not here as of the moment. He plays golf during the weekends," Sakura explained in an attempt to divert Mei Ling's attention.

Mei Ling looked at her stonily and remained silent.

Sakura felt uncomfortable under the other woman's glare. As sisters-in-law, their relationship could only go as far as being civil with one another. Privately, Sakura thought the Li girl was snooty. The first time the two were introduced, Mei Ling had sized her up from head to foot before sticking up her nose and refusing to speak to Sakura the entire evening. Sakura would never let her brother, most especially not her father, know but she liked Touya's ex-girlfriend much more than his eventual wife.

Mizuki Kaho, Sakura's high school teacher, had been Touya's girlfriend for a good seven years. After Kinomoto Nadeshiko died, Kaho had been Sakura's mother figure during her adolescence. She was smart, kind, classy, and beautiful. It was only unfortunate that Fujitaka vehemently disapproved of their relationship. Apart from the fact that she was older than Touya by five years, Kaho had come from a modest middle class family. Sakura would never tell Touya but she felt their father had some hand in Kaho's sudden departure.

Before she left, Kaho had reassured Touya that the overseas study program will only be for a few months. Two months after, however, Kaho would call Touya to ask to end their relationship. Distraught, Touya had to beg their father to let him go to England to win his ladylove back. It was during this time that Sakura witnessed her older brother break down the first time when Fujitaka broke to him the news of Kaho's marriage to a "respectable" Englishman named Clow Reed. For two years, Touya lived like a wounded dog. The family had to endure his bouts of depression and one failed suicide attempt before Fujitaka drew the line. He sent his son to Seoul. There, Touya met the feisty Hong Kong heiress who was responsible for mending his broken heart.

For Sakura, this was enough reason for her to accept Li Mei Ling as her sister. During the years they were together, up until the time they got married, she could clearly see how much Touya loved Mei Ling. And it was just as apparent how this love was very much reciprocated by the raven-haired girl. It helped, of course, that Mei Ling came from a wealthy Chinese family. Their marriage met no opposition from Fujitaka, who was only too happy to have a Li heiress for a daughter-in-law.

"I see," came Mei Ling's reply.

"Is there anything you would like me to relay to Otou-sama?" Sakura inquired.

Mei Ling thought for a second, her eyes not leaving Sakura. "Yes, there is. I would just like to make a reminder to you and your father. I acknowledge that Touya is firstly a part of your family. But he is my husband. And I love him, Sakura-san—very much."

Mei Ling's lower lip trembled.

"I protect everyone I love, Sakura-san. So if there is anyone—anyone who dares hurt Touya," ruby eyes flashed. "I will not hesitate to hurt them back, family or not."

Without waiting for a reply, Mei Ling turned and left, leaving a bewildered Sakura in her wake.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Next chapter:** Sakura's story Part 2.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of its characters.

 **Author's Note:** My belated Christmas gift to all of you, readers! Read and review!

 **Author's Second Note:** _December 27, 2016._ To all my dearest readers, I've been re-reading the story and found the first three chapters too short. Hence, I decided to merge Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Did nothing major.

* * *

 **PERFECT STRANGERS  
** _Dream of Autumn_

 _iv._

A brown-haired man stared out the window of his car as he gazed at the sceneries passing before him. It was very early in the morning. The rays of the sun were only beginning to peak through the horizon yet Kinomoto Fujitaka was on his way to the cemetery once again to visit the grave of his beloved wife. Kinomoto Nadeshiko had been gone for two decades now, yet the love Fujitaka had for his wife remained unchanged. It had been love at first sight for them, and it will still be love for him even if he could not see her. Oh, how he sorely missed her. She had been his light and love in life. In death, she remains so.

Kinomoto Fujitaka was someone one would call an upstart. Having been born in a modest middle class family, his luck changed when, while working for Amamiya Corporation, he caught the eye of company heiress, Amamiya Nadeshiko. Their relationship inevitably made Fujitaka a topic of gossips in the company for a long time. How he supposedly seduced the young Amamiya scion, seven years his junior, just to be promoted. How he used his charms to land himself in the good books of the company owner. The list went on but to Fujitaka, these were all not worth his time. For all he cared, they were all jealous of his good fortune. All that mattered to him was his perfect wife and their growing family.

But as fast as Fujitaka reached his heights, nine years later, Fujitaka's world collapsed. Nadeshiko was diagnosed with lung cancer at the tender age of 26. Nadeshiko's battle with cancer lasted for a year before she succumbed to the disease, leaving her husband alone to raise their two children. For weeks, Fujitaka isolated himself and refused to see his children, especially Sakura who reminded him so much of his deceased wife.

It wasn't until Nadeshiko's cousin Daidouji Sonomi gave him an earful that Fujitaka began to regain his senses. Sonomi never liked him much, but seeing Touya and Sakura being thoroughly neglected by their father forced the Amamiya heiress to talk to her cousin-in-law. After Sonomi had left, he pondered upon the truth to Sonomi's words. Nadeshiko would not want to see him in that state nor will Nadeshiko be happy to see their children deprived of love and affection by their father. While ambling aimlessly inside the mansion, Fujitaka found himself inside the library. It was during this time that he stumbled upon something that soon became his point of interest, a driving force, while raising his children. Scanning the family archives, Fujitaka discovered that the Amamiyas had, at one point in history, descended from the emperors of Japan.

This lit a spark that soon became an obsession inside Fujitaka. He unwittingly married into royalty, in a manner of speaking. His children, his flesh and blood, were of, albeit indirectly, imperial descent. This realization shook Fujitaka. Having been an archeologist's son, history had been one of his favorite subjects growing up. While his peers were all into comics and games, he pored over history books. A grin broke into Fujitaka's face as he thought of Touya and Sakura. _My own prince and princess…_ He will make sure his children will have the most possible perfect life. They will have only the best education, the best teachers, the best jobs, the best spouses.

Fujitaka's gaze darted forward when the car slowly came to a stop. They were at their destination already. He got out of the car and breathed the early morning air, momentarily enjoying the wind's gentle caress. Smiling, he strode forward clutching the flowers he brought for Nadeshiko.

"Good morning, my angel," Fujitaka tenderly said as he laid the flowers over his deceased wife's tomb. In the twenty years that passed, Fujitaka kept his promise to visit her grave every week. No earthquake, no storm could deter him from going there.

"Our Sakura is finally getting married, my love," he said talking to the grave, pleased with himself. "If you were here, I'm sure you will be very pleased. The boy comes from a very good family. Well-educated, very hardworking. I'm sure he will give our princess the life she deserves."

The hairs on the back of his neck stood and he allowed himself another smile. He knew his wife, wherever she was, was listening. Closing his eyes, Fujitaka imagined Nadeshiko smiling in approval of his news.

"Our children are all very fortunate my love, marrying into privileged families," he said looking up wistfully to the wind.

As a widowed father, Fujitaka spent his life slaving over his children's future. He made sure they had careers that would keep food on their table and not just simply something they took on a whim. He made sure they were adept in skills people on top of the society ladder deemed necessary. He made sure they associated with the right people. And finally, he made sure they ended up with people who will lavish them with their wants. He took great pains in removing Mizuki Kaho from Touya's life. She was, to his belief, not right for him. He hardened himself during the years Touya lived less like a human and kicked him to South Korea when he went too far by ingesting poison to end his life. That had been the best decision Fujitaka ever made.

In Seoul, his son crossed paths with Hong Kong heiress Li Mei Ling. Fujitaka had been hesitant at first. The girl was too headstrong, too volatile for his liking. He would be unable to control his son, much less his wife. But when, while digging up her background, he found that the Lis were, much like the Amamiyas, descended from the emperors of China, Fujitaka eagerly consented for their marriage. He struck gold. The thought that his grandchildren would carry the blood of rulers of East Asia sent Fujitaka to euphoria.

Now left with only one child to look after, Fujitaka began looking for options for Sakura's husband. Mei Ling raised the bar high with her pedigree. The answer came to him one day and Fujitaka breathed a sigh of relief with the realization that he did not have to look far. It was during one of his conversations with Mei Ling's father that he discovered that the Li family had three bachelors. Li Chien's cousin Ah Shen had two sons older than Sakura. Both were respected figures in their chosen fields and were very much respectable themselves. Though sorely tempted, Fujitaka was ambitious. He wanted the best because Nadeshiko's daughter only deserved nothing but. He was determined to have the titular head of the esteemed clan from Hong Kong for his son-in-law. And that meant the unmarried son of the former clan head Li Dai Lang.

 _Li Xiao Lang._

* * *

Seven days from her wedding, Kinomoto Sakura sat patiently as she waited for the arrival of her cousin and best friend, Daidouji Tomoyo. She was due for her dress fitting at Tomoyo's atelier and the renowned Japanese designer was running late for their appointment. Tomoyo had already apologized. Apparently, an emergency came up with the dress of one of her brides that day and she needed to fix it pronto. It didn't matter to Sakura at the moment. The idle time gave her a while to think. For three weeks running, Sakura still cannot believe she was getting married. Moreover, it was only last week that she formally met her groom.

Her fiancé's face appeared in her mind. As hisface became clearer inside her head, she shivered. Dark, fiery amber eyes peering behind tousled brown locks had been haunting her in her dreams ever since they met. A deep, rich, velvety voice taunting her, teasing " _I take it you're excited for our wedding, Sakura?_ " Then, she wakes up, almost always at 3:00 in the morning. Getting back to sleep had since been difficult and Sakura anticipated she was going to receive a scolding once Tomoyo sees her drawn face.

As if on cue, the double doors to the studio opened and in walked a fair woman with wavy dark hair, almost panting.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo breathed. "I'm so sorry! I—" violet eyes blinked. Sakura waited with bated breath, knowing she was never going to hear the end of it.

"What happened to you, Kinomoto Sakura?!" Tomoyo almost shrieked. Sakura winced. "You look like death! When was the last time you slept?"

"Tomoyo, let's not talk about it, please," Sakura pleaded wearily.

Tomoyo scowled. "Not talk about it? Sakura, have you seen yourself? When was the last time you looked into a mirror?"

Sakura glared at her cousin and did not answer.

Tomoyo huffed, unwilling to let this down. "Sakura, I know the circumstances of your engagement and marriage may not be the most ideal but I certainly expected more effort coming from you! You can't let the people of Hong Kong see you get married to that man—" she spat the word venomously. "—like the way you look right now!"

Sakura sighed, defeated like always. Tomoyo would never let her win when it came to that department. "I'm sorry, okay? I had a lot of things in my mind."

"Don't we all? At this rate, Sakura, you'll be the laughingstock of Hong Kong!"

At this, Sakura's frown deepened and she felt herself flush knowing what Tomoyo said was true. "Fine! I promise I'll make an effort to sleep more."

This earned her a smile from her cousin. "That's what I want to hear. Now, where were we?"

Tomoyo only needed to clap her hands before her assistants came fawning over Sakura, bringing her silk dress. With a groan, Sakura dragged her feet to the dressing room to change, not even daring to look at the garment in her arms.

Much to Tomoyo's disappointment, Fujitaka had instructed that Sakura wear a red cheongsam. From the time they were teenagers, Tomoyo had been planning Sakura's wedding. From the gown, to the venue, to the decorations, to the entourage, every fine detail of her best friend's wedding had been etched on the back of her head. The only thing missing was the groom himself. When Fujitaka suddenly appeared on the doorstep of her studio three weeks earlier bringing the news of the engagement together with his instructions for the wedding, Tomoyo was appalled. Everything she planned suddenly went down the drain.

Her idea of Sakura's grand wedding at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo flew out of the window. The elegant white gown she had been dreaming for Sakura bled red. Even her own dress as maid of honor was significantly altered. Her idea of an off-shoulder gown had to become a cheongsam. Tomoyo wrinkled her nose at the thought. All her sketches were all for naught.

After two hours of dress fitting and a bit of bickering here and there, everything was done. Needed adjustments had been accounted for so the cousins decided to stepped out for brunch. They headed out for their favorite café in central Tokyo and settled themselves in a private booth at the corner of the restaurant.

"You know, we didn't get the chance to talk after you came home from Hong Kong," Tomoyo began after their meals were served.

Sakura simply shrugged and stayed silent. She tried enjoying her pasta as a number of thoughts jumbled inside her head.

"What were they like? The Lis, I mean," Tomoyo asked curiously. "I've heard a number of things about them from Okaa-sama but she only knew them from the business side of things."

Sakura nodded.

Tomoyo continued to press for details. "Surely, your sister-in-law would know them better but you can't honestly expect me to go to _her._ "

Sakura smiled. Much like her, Tomoyo pretty much found her sister-in-law obnoxious. But unlike Sakura's muted tolerance, Tomoyo had the glaring audacity to call Mei Ling a "stuck-up snob" even to Touya's face. Mei Ling's husband would simply roll his eyes and shake his head, amused. Touya loved Mei Ling too much to care.

Sakura thought for a minute, poking through her pasta as she tried to find the right words to describe her future family. "They look… very formidable."

Tomoyo's face fell. This was not the word she wanted to hear. She wanted something juicy, scandalous even. "Formidable?" she snorted.

Sakura nodded. It was the truth. Despite being herself, Sakura had always been a self-assured person when dealing with people. Being raised by Fujitaka and Touya does that to you. Yet aside from her father, Sakura had never known someone who can make her feel as small as the way the Lis did. It was in the confident way they held themselves, coupled by their understanding that they were somebody. They were rich, prominent, and influential, and they damn knew it. How she can bear living with Li Ye Lan and her cold, calculating looks, or Li Xiao Lang's burning stares and conniving smirks in the coming months… Sakura tried suppressing the thought.

"They're pretty much like Mei Ling," Sakura concluded sipping on her drink.

"Oh…" Tomoyo said understandingly. "Figures…"

"And your so-called future husband?" Tomoyo asked without batting an eyelash.

At her question, Sakura tensed. Instantly, the conversation she overheard replayed in her mind word for word. She told nobody about it simply because she feared how they would react. Since her father told her of her engagement to Li Xiao Lang, it always bothered Sakura how the engagement happened. When Fujitaka refused to answer her queries, she shrugged it off and assumed that it was for business reasons like most arranged marriages she heard of. When her father informed her that they were going to Hong Kong to meet the Lis, Sakura assumed that it was at the invitation of the Chinese family.

Imagine her surprise when their families finally met. It was clear as daylight to Sakura that she was not and will not be welcome in the Li household. Not even her father gloating her supposed accomplishments could endear her to the Lis. Her soon-to-be mother-in-law regarded her like a leech desperately clinging to her son that she wanted to detach. Her future groom treated her apathetically, disregarding the smoldering stares he threw at her all throughout the night when he thought she didn't notice. By far, his cousin Hiiragizawa Eriol had been the nicest person she encountered from his family. But Sakura knew that when everything was definite and she was married to Syaoran, Eriol won't be there for her 24/7. Plus, if anything goes wrong, Sakura would not expect him to defend her. He was part of their family not hers. And blood will always be thicker than water.

And then she overheard them talking. She was making her way from the toilet back to the living room where her father and Ye Lan were discussing wedding preparations when she heard a male voice speak her name. She peered by the door that led to what Sakura saw was a patio and saw Syaoran and Eriol talking. She frowned hearing them talk about her looks. Admittedly, there was nothing insulting with what they said. To an extent, they complimented her even if Syaoran thought other women were better-looking. She couldn't care less. She, however, simply didn't like being the subject of such a conversation as if she were a piece of meat.

Then came what Sakura deemed to be an accusation. Syaoran was convinced Sakura and her father were planning something against his family. Her heart thudded and she felt her anger slowly course through her.

 _How dare he?!_ She wanted to confront him right there and then and tell him straight up that he was being ridiculous. She knew nothing of whatever business transactions her father made. Nor had her father ordered her to do anything. As far as Sakura was concerned, the only thing her father told her to do was to marry the man. Nothing more, nothing less. Why? Kami-sama knows.

Hot tears threatened to spill out of Sakura's eyes and her body trembled with rage. The sound of shuffling footsteps came and she made a sharp intake of breath. Instinctively, she moved to stand against the wall, not wanting to be seen. Her gaze lingered on their backs as the pair walked away from where she stood. Alone in the deserted hallway, Sakura calmed herself. Everything suddenly became clear to her. She was not the only one forced to marry. Both of them were, all because her father took the family company right under the Lis' watch.

Knowing, however, brought no relief to Sakura. Just quite the opposite because knowing the truth also brought the realization that she will be, from the time she got married, on the receiving end of the Lis' retribution. And Sakura knew it won't be pretty.

"He's…" Sakura pondered her answer. A small smile tugged her lips. "Like a wolf."

"Sakura!" Tomoyo whined. "You have got to give me answers better than that!"

Sakura laughed, the first time she did in a week. "Tomoyo, can we please not talk about him or his family or _anything_ about the wedding?"

Tomoyo frowned and shook her head. "Sakura, I'm just worried. You're getting married in a week! To a man you barely know!"

In reality, Tomoyo was agitated. She loved Sakura like a sister and the last thing she wanted to happen was her getting hurt. When her uncle broke the news of Sakura's engagement, Tomoyo was hurt thinking Sakura had blindsided her. She was supposed to be her best friend, her best confidante. For her not to be aware of any relationship or engagement Sakura had was betrayal. She refused to pick up Sakura's call or answer her messages. It wasn't until a frantic Sakura showed up at her house the next evening that the truth dawned on Tomoyo.

"I don't intend to scare you off, Sakura. But please, be careful of Li Syaoran," Tomoyo told her.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Tomoyo, is there something I need to know about him?"

"Well, I did a bit of research about the man. Specifically on his personal history. It's kind of frustrating to know his record is clean. Nothing overtly scandalous that might make Uncle Fujitaka change his mind about you marrying him."

Sakura's eyebrows raised, dubious and at the same time disappointed. "Really? No secret love affairs? No former lovers mysteriously turning up dead? No secret love child?"

A tug of a smile appeared on the corner of Tomoyo's lips. "Zilch," she confirmed. "At least that's what my sources tell me."

"Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"

"I would like to believe it is," Tomoyo said. "But sometimes, it's the things that are kept hidden that are more dangerous than what is known."

Sakura did not contradict. The unknown is far scarier than otherwise. More so considering the conversation she heard.

"He must be very, very powerful to be able to hide his darkest secrets from the public," Sakura mused. _Who know what he's capable of doing? Will he hurt me physically? Or will he resort to mind games to drive me to my insanity?_

"And he thinks I'm the one with skeletons in my closet," Sakura muttered before she could even think. She inwardly winced when she realized what she just let slip. Sakura mentally chided herself. The last thing she needed was for someone to know what she knew. The fiasco this would cause… Sakura grimaced at the thought.

"What? What do you mean he thinks you're hiding something?" Tomoyo demanded.

"Nothing!" Sakura answered a little too quickly, muscles tensing.

Tomoyo narrowed her eyes. "Sakura, I heard you very clearly. You said Li Syaoran thinks you're hiding something. Did he threaten you?"

Sakura shook her head hard. "H-He didn't e-exactly tell me that h-he thinks I'm hiding something," Sakura sputtered. "It's…"

"Go on," Tomoyo urged her to continue.

Inside her ribcage, Sakura's heartbeat began to race. "It's… in the way he looks at me. L-Like… he doesn't trust me. L-Like he thinks I'm up to something." Sakura mentally patted herself for the quick thinking. Across her, Tomoyo continued to stare at her suspiciously. It's very hard to lie to your best friend, especially if the said best friend knows you inside and out.

Sakura eased her breathing when she thought Tomoyo finally yielded.

The raven-haired girl let out a sigh. "Sakura, as your best friend, I'm going to say that you not telling me everything really hurts."

"Tomoyo—"

"But as your best friend, I trust you have reasons for not telling me." Tomoyo's eyes softened.

The words Sakura wanted to say got caught in her throat. She felt guilty for keeping secrets from Tomoyo.

"I probably will never be able to fathom what you're feeling right now, Sakura. But, as your best friend and maid of honor, I want to ask you one favor."

Sakura held her breath as her green eyes met Tomoyo's pleading violet ones. _A favor?_

"Please seriously reconsider marrying Li Syaoran."

Sakura turned her gaze down. "Tomoyo, it's not that easy. Otou-sama—"

"Sakura, let's face it. Uncle Fujitaka won't be around for too long. He might have done this for what he thought was for your own good. But when he's gone, who will you turn to when you're miserable in your marriage?"

Sakura remained silent. Tomoyo knew she made her point.

"You might feel that you want to give this marriage a shot and see how it's going to work. But when it goes down, what happens next? Is all this worth it, Sakura?"

Though Sakura did not give any reply, it was apparent in those green eyes what her answer was: _No. No, it's not._

Truth be told, she didn't need to hear it from Tomoyo to know that her impending marriage was doomed right before it even began. Sakura figured that out for herself. She knew it was only a matter of time before the Li Xiao Lang maneuvered his way out of the marriage and shipped her back to Japan. Frankly, she didn't care. Good riddance. Her only worry was her father.

Yet as the days went by, Sakura found herself seriously thinking about the words Tomoyo said to her. When her father passes, what would become of her? Will she still be married to Xiao Lang by then? Or will she be the disgraced divorcee? Will somebody still want her by then?

Like any normal girl, Sakura dreamt of being swept off her feet by her Prince Charming. She dreamt of looking into the eyes of her true love as they exchanged vows, sealing their marital union in front of the people they loved. She wanted a marriage full of love, something like what her parents had. And she wanted to spend the rest of her life with someone who loved her more than she loved him, much like how her father had loved her mother.

Sakura allowed herself a smile. Despite the many things one can say about Kinomoto Fujitaka as a person, as an employer, and even as a father, nobody can ever fault him as a husband. He was perfect in every way. He was loving, caring, gentle, faithful, and a romantic. Even in death, he remained very much in love with his wife and refused to even consider dating and remarriage.

Sakura sighed. For her to have that kind of marriage was now an impossibility, especially with her fiancé suspicious of her and her father's alleged motives. With the wedding happening in four days, Sakura knew something, anything, had to be done to put a stop to this madness. She felt like a puny insect led by her father into a web of a waiting spider. But unlike the insect that she was weeks ago, her resolve was getting stronger. There was no way she was letting herself get trapped.

Ever since Sakura could remember, Fujitaka had been behind her dictating her every move whether she liked it or not. And more than egging her into whatever he wanted for her, he demanded nothing but perfection and Sakura had been nothing but obedient. There was a flicker inside her head and she thought of her brother. Like her, Touya did nothing but give in to their father's demands all his life. It nearly destroyed his life for good. Despite the fact that Touya was in a much better place now, Sakura doubted that redemption was at the end of the dark tunnel for her. There was only one thing for her to do: turn back and get out of the tunnel.

At twenty three years old, Sakura was slowly becoming her own person. And after twenty three years of constantly nodding to the dictates of her father, Sakura decided that Little Miss Perfect Daughter had to tack a back seat.

This time, she had enough.

* * *

As if fate would have it, the chance to make things her way came to Sakura the next day.

Father and daughter were having breakfast when Rika came in holding out a phone to Fujitaka. "Fujitaka-sama, Matsuharo-sama is on the line."

Fujitaka took the phone with a grunt and stood up to the take call. "Hai, Fujitaka desu…" He strode out of the room.

Sakura eyed her father's figure subconsciously. He was talking in a hushed voice, pacing along the hallway. When he ended the call, Fujitaka entered the dining room in a rush and made a grab for his coat which he hung on the back of his chair.

"Sakura, I'm leaving you and Touya in charge. I'll be in Nagoya until tomorrow. Investors are coming in this afternoon and I'll be having a meeting with them."

"Yes, Otou-sama," Sakura nodded. As Vice President of Operations, she was used to having her father tap her as acting president in his absence.

"Call Touya if you need anything." And with that, Fujitaka left.

Sakura was halfway standing up to prepare for her day as company-in-charge when the realization came to her: her father will be gone for the day.

She was alone. And the time she will be alone was more than enough for her.

Now, all that she needed to do is make two phone calls and she will be free.

Free from the Lis.

Free from her father.

Free from perfection.

* * *

The trip to Nagoya takes about four and a half hours from Tokyo. Fujitaka had been travelling for an hour when his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was his Assistant Vice President.

"Hello, Oyama-san?"

"Good morning, Fujitaka-sama!"

"I'm on my way to Nagoya, Oyama-san. I've left Touya and Sakura in charge so you may refer your concern to them for the time being."

"Oh! My apologies, Fujitaka-sama. I'll take the matter to Touya-sama, then. Good day, Sir!"

Fujitaka ended the call. Barely ten minutes had passed when his phone again vibrated, prompting him of an incoming call. He frowned when he saw that it was once again Oyama Kaido on the line.

"My apologies, once again, Fujitaka-sama, but Touya-sama is currently in a meeting with Asahara & Genda. And, well, Mr. Schwartz is waiting for an answer. He was asking about a draft of the contract they sent you three days ago and was wondering whether the terms were amenable. They wanted to finalize the agreement the soonest possible time, Sir."

Fujitaka recalled reviewing the draft two days earlier and found nothing needing amendment.

"You may tell them to proceed. I believe I forwarded the reviewed draft to Sakura's office. You may get it from her," Fujitaka said.

"Sakura-sama called in sick today, Sir."

"Did she?" Fujitaka's eyes widened in surprise. Sakura was perfectly fine when he left.

"Yes, Sir."

"Very well. Let them know the contract may be finalized."

After bidding his employee goodbye, Fujitaka absentmindedly gazed at the cars cruising along the highway, his thoughts straying to his daughter. Why would Sakura call in sick? Was she really sick? She didn't look ill when he had left.

An uneasy feeling slowly creeped up on Fujitaka.

 _No._

His darling daughter would never lie. Not on purpose. He tried shaking it off but the feeling lingered. He shook his head. Would she really? Determined to be rid of the anxiety he felt, Fujitaka took out his phone and dialed home.

Their butler Saeki answered after three rings and, without letting him finish his customary greeting, Fujitaka immediately asked for Sakura.

"Sakura-sama? She left for work the same time you did, Fujitaka-sama," Saeki told him, sounding confused.

"I-Is that so?"

Saeki's answer only confirmed Fujitaka's fear as the feeling of coldness washed over him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood. The wheels on his mind turned and his temper began to rise.

Angrily, he dialed Sakura's number. He needed an answer from her and she better give him a good one. He only grew more incensed when he was diverted to voice mail and had to resist the strong urge to throw his phone away. Scowling, he glared at his phone as if it was a useless piece of garbage. Then, something in his phone caught his eye and he sneered. He tinkered with the gadget patiently and, when a red dot appeared on his phone's screen, he stared at it for a whole minute.

Like a bomb, his anger exploded and evolved into full blown rage as he bellowed at his driver to turn back to Tokyo at top speed. He didn't care if he got caught speeding. He can get away with that. All Fujitaka cared at that moment was he needed to return to Tokyo immediately or else there will be no daughter waiting for him when he comes back.

Fujitaka gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He looked again at his phone and was a bit relieved that the dot remained unchanged.

Sakura was still at the airport.

* * *

Sakura fidgeted in her seat as she waited for her boarding time. She had been in the airport for two hours now and as the minutes ticked, her anxiety continued to grow. Her flight to Fukuoka was supposed to leave thirty minutes ago but airport traffic pushed its departure for another hour. In an attempt to calm her nerves, Sakura began to breathe deeply.

 _Everything will be alright… Everything will be alright… Anytime now, they'll be asking passengers to board the plane and everything will be alright…_

Her spur of the moment decision led her to purchasing a plane ticket to Fukuoka. She had purposely chosen the most random destination in Japan simply because she knew that if her father ever found out what she did, he would never think of Fukuoka as her escape route. And even if he did, it will be too late. Fukuoka would only be her stopover. As to where she would go next, she would think about it during the plane ride. At that moment, she was considering going to Okinawa, Taiwan, or Vietnam.

Sakura silently hoped Touya and Tomoyo would forgive her. She had left without informing them. She called her secretary the minute her father left the house to tell her she was sick and would be taking a leave from work. She trusted Yariko was sensible enough inform her brother because she didn't intend to talk to Touya at all. Her brother would know she was fibbing the minute they talked. The same goes with Tomoyo. To Sakura, the lesser the number of people who knew of her plans, the lesser the magnitude of trouble would be. Nobody can fault them for not giving away her location.

"Good morning!" a voice rang through the airport announcement system. Sakura straightened up in her seat. "Flight JAL 313 bound for Fukuoka is now boarding at Gate number 31."

Around Sakura, passengers began standing up to fall in line, ready to board the plane. Sakura rose herself from her seat and gathered her bags, all set to board the aircraft when a vice-like grip held her arm. She yelped in pain as someone pulled her roughly.

Her eyes widened and she gasped when she found herself staring at the furious face of Kinomoto Fujitaka.

"Going somewhere, Princess?"

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of its characters.

 **Author's Note:** It was a busy, busy month. I just managed to slip writing in between the chaos. Presenting Chapter Five… Please read and review!

* * *

 **PERFECT STRANGERS  
** _Dream of Autumn_

 _v._

"O-Otou-sama!" Sakura gasped. Her eyes widened in horror.

The sight of her father, livid, seething, eyes burning with raging anger, standing before her made Sakura feel as if she was doused with icy water two times over. It was her worst nightmare coming true.

"You are coming with me," Fujitaka said through gritted teeth.

"Otou-sama," Sakura pleaded, shaking her head.

She winced as she felt her father's fingers tighten even more around her arm like a tourniquet cutting off circulation from her upper limb. Fujitaka's dark brown eyes flashed dangerously.

"Let's go home, Sakura," he said with finality and dragged her away.

Silently, they made their way out of the airport ignoring the stares they were getting along the way. When they got to their car, Fujitaka released Sakura's arm and pushed her inside.

"Get in," he barked before sliding in beside her and ordering the driver to head for home.

The drive back to their mansion was tense and quiet. Sakura was too scared to speak. She only had to make a sidelong glance at her father's trembling fists to know she had pushed her father to the edge. Closing her eyes, she mentally prayed to Kami-sama that her father would be able to understand her reason for attempting to flee. He was her father, after all. Shouldn't fathers try to understand their children? Then again, this was _her_ father she was talking about.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sakura felt the car slow down and opened her eyes to see the mansion gates opening to welcome them. She gulped and her heart went haywire. In a few minutes, she would have to face her father's wrath. She had seen her father get angry before. But this… this was beyond everything that ever happened. Sakura had never defied her father as blatantly as she just did. When the car came to a stop, Fujitaka threw the door open and grabbed Sakura, his hand clamping tightly around her arm. She let out a whimper as he harshly pulled her out of the car and towards the house.

"Otou-sama, you're hurting me," Sakura whimpered as they entered the house. Saeki, who opened the doors for them, could only watch with stunned silence at the father and daughter. He knew better than to intrude. Fujitaka was dangerously silent as he dragged Sakura to his office. Once they were inside, Fujitaka slammed the door shut and rounded on his daughter.

"Otou-sama—"

 _SLAP!_

Sakura pressed her palm to her stinging cheek.

"I am giving you one chance to explain yourself, Sakura," Fujitaka hissed threateningly.

Sakura looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Otou-sama, I can't marry him. Please don't make me marry him." For the first time in her life, Sakura begged.

Fujitaka's eyes narrowed darkly at her.

"Do you have any idea what I had to go through to secure this engagement, Sakura?" he spat. "Do you have any idea what would that make me, what humiliation I would face if you walk out of this engagement"

"I never wanted this, Otou-sama!" Sakura cried. She was becoming desperate, hysterical. There was no way she would walk into the ceremony even if her life depended on it.

Fujitaka grabbed her by the shoulders. "You don't have to want this, Sakura. Li Syaoran will be a good husband to you. I will make sure of it."

"Li Syaoran doesn't like me! I don't want to be married to someone who doesn't want me!"

Fujitaka gritted his teeth and shook her by the shoulders. "Stop being silly, Sakura! Don't make this difficult for us!"

"Otou-sama, he hates me!" Sakura sobbed. "He wants to hurt me!"

Fujitaka chuckled exasperatingly. "You can't possibly say that!"

"Yes, I can because I heard him! He wants to hurt me because of what _you_ did! You took his company and forced him to marry me!"

"You will marry him and that's final!" Fujitaka almost shouted. "If you want, I will include in the terms of the contract that he must remain married to you for him to remain in control of the company or else it will all be given to you. Just do as I say."

Sakura shook her head. "No, Otou-sama, I will not. I don't care if I live in rags for the rest of my life, I will not be married to Li Syaoran," she said defiantly.

Fujitaka saw red. He growled and swiped his hand at her face. The force of her father's slap sent Sakura hurtling to the floor. Hot tears fell from Sakura's eyes and a sob broke through her lips as pain shot through the side of her body that made contact with the floor. Slowly, she pushed herself up by her arms, unwilling to give up without a fight.

Then, there was a swish in the air before a raw, fiery pain came on her back that had Sakura screaming for mercy and back to the cold marble floor.

* * *

It was the day of the wedding. In less than two hours, Hong Kong's elusive bachelor will officially be off the market and Kinomoto Sakura will take her place in the Chinese administrative region's society as Mrs. Li Xiao Lang. The media had a field day the minute they got wind of the looming wedding. While Kinomoto Sakura was a relatively unknown figure in Hong Kong, it didn't take long before journalists were able to dig up information about the Japanese multi-million conglomerate executive. Her parentage, her educational background, her philanthropy, and, most of all, her net worth, made the headlines.

The 'advantageous marriage' was soon dubbed as the 'Wedding of the Year'—the union of two of Asia's youngest, most attractive, and wealthiest business magnates. And because no one had ever seen Li Xiao Lang together with the Japanese heiress before, the media resorted to making up a variety of stories of how the two became a couple, even quoting so-called 'reliable sources'.

In his crisp grey suit, Eriol stood by Syaoran's door and thought twice before thumping his fist on the hard wood.

"Come in," came his cousin's voice.

Eriol's eyes took in the sight that beheld him the second he entered the room. Syaoran was sitting on his bed dressed in plain white tee and cotton pajama pants. His fingers were furiously typing on his working laptop, which was nestled on his lap. The aroma of coffee that surrounded the room hinted Eriol of what was inside the mug on the bedside table. Folders and papers were scattered on the bed, and another pile lay neatly undisturbed by the table.

"What are you doing?" Eriol asked, leaning against the door jamb.

"Working," Syaoran answered casually, not even bothering to look up. He only continued whatever he was typing.

"Your wedding is in one and a half hours," he reminded him.

"I can get ready for the damn ceremony in thirty minutes and still make it to the damn hotel earlier than most people," was Syaoran's only retort.

Eriol shook his head and smiled.

"Look happy and excited, will you? You're getting married!" Eriol tried. It was success. Syaoran looked at him alright—and gave him the most menacing look he was capable of.

Eriol laughed and sat down on Syaoran's recliner. "You know you have a weird wedding. No wedding rehearsals. No rehearsal dinners. Not even a bachelor's party."

Syaoran resumed to his pointed ignorance of Eriol, scowling deeply. Eriol felt a tug on his lips as he took notice of Syaoran's ears which were turning red. He knew that if he persisted with his taunts, he wouldn't be surprised to see steam coming out.

"I could imagine Sakura throwing herself a bachelorette's party, though," he said thoughtfully.

The clicking sound Syaoran's fingers made as he typed became more pronounced. Eriol figured that at least one of the keys would actually break or fall off.

"I wonder if she had a stripper. Girls like her can be a little minx if they want to—"

"Alright, alright! I'll get ready for the stupid wedding if you just shut your mouth!" Syaoran blew. He half-threw his laptop and stalked out of the room, into his bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Eriol smiled proudly as he lounged on the recliner. He definitely knew where and how to push Syaoran's buttons. Savoring his time alone waiting for the groom to finish with his rituals, he took a nap for several minutes. He woke up to the sound of banging doors coming from the adjacent walk-in closet. Five minutes later, Li Xiao Lang stepped out, wet hair plastered to his forehead, in his wedding suit. Checking the time, Eriol had to grin. Twenty minutes was all it took for Syaoran to finish showering, dressing and preparing himself.

"Now what?" he spat at Eriol.

Eriol grinned even more widely. The blue-eyed man stood up, straightened his own suit, and shrugged. "We meet with the family for the photoshoots."

There was a sharp intake of breath and Syaoran growled. "You. Had. Me. Dressed. Up. For. A. Damn. Photoshoot?!"

Eriol shrugged, unconcerned of his cousin's flare of temper. "Hey, it's not every day the head of the family gets married."

Syaoran was going to kill Eriol one of these days.

Eriol patted his back. "I'm just pulling your leg. Your sisters just arrived and wanted to talk to you, give you their best wishes. And Auntie wanted to talk to you, as well."

With another glare at his cousin, Syaoran stormed out of the room. Eriol chuckled and followed him downstairs.

The youngest Li found his mother and sisters at the study, their moods somber. Upon seeing their only brother, the Li sisters stood up and encircled Syaoran in an embrace. Any other day, Syaoran would have told them to back off. He didn't like being treated as if he were still a baby. But that day, he appreciated what they represented to him: comfort and support. For a while, no words were spoken. The brood simply held onto each other.

"I never thought I'd see the day you get married, Xiao Lang," Fuu Tie, the eldest sister, jested. Amber eyes very much like his stared at him sadly.

A wistful smile was returned to her. "Well, it had to happen someday."

"Xiao Lang," the youngest sister, Fei Mei, sobbed as she hugged him tightly. "If ever you need us, you know where to call, Di Di."

"Girls, we'll see you at the hotel," Ye Lan's voice came sternly, interrupting their little moment. Reluctantly, the girls released Syaoran and went out of the room.

Mother and son were finally alone in the room.

"Xiao Lang, my son," Ye Lan's voice quivered as she took in Syaoran's appearance.

Her son. Her pride. Her joy. _Xiao Lang_. This was the son Ye Lan struggled to conceive. Having married at the age of eighteen to the head of the illustrious Li Clan, Cheng Ye Lan knew that her primary responsibility as Dai Lang's wife was to give him a male heir to carry the name and continue the lineage. For the head to be without a son was unheard of. But Ye Lan was young, at the prime of her life, and she was confident that she would do what was expected of her. She knew she wouldn't—couldn't—let her husband down. But as years passed and more daughters came into the world, the pressure to give her husband a son mounted. Ye Lan momentarily slipped into depression and this almost led to the breakdown of their marriage.

Then, five years after the birth of Li Fei Mei, Ye Lan found herself with child. While the silver lining shone bright, Ye Lan learned the hard way not to be too complacent. The pregnancy could either give the couple a fifth daughter _or_ the son the clan had been longing for. Finally, after nine months of waiting and praying, Li Xiao Lang wailed and breathed his first. Twenty five years later, the boy that was the apple of the Li family's eyes grew up to become a man.

"Ma Ma," Syaoran said softly.

Almost hesitantly, Ye Lan moved towards him. She reached out a hand and combed his damp hair with her fingers. "Your hair is a mess."

He smirked. "I forgot to comb it."

"You don't say," his mother remarked.

For a minute, they stayed silent as Ye Lan struggled making her youngest child's hair look presentable. Syaoran let her. He knew his mother was worried about him and this was her way of pacifying her growing anxiety.

"I don't believe I ever pushed you to get married," Ye Lan said as she broke the quiet. Scrutinizing Syaoran's brown locks, Ye Lan nodded curtly when she was finally satisfied.

Syaoran chuckled in agreement. "You never did, Ma Ma."

Ye Lan grinned at him. "You never did like being told what do. So I contented myself in silently praying that you do. I just never imagined that you'll be getting married this way. Had I known…"

"Ma Ma, don't blame yourself for something we both had no control over," Syaoran comforted her. There was no use crying over what happened. Sometimes, you just have to face the music.

"I'm worried for you, Xiao Lang. I don't trust the Kinomotos one bit," Ye Lan confided.

Syaoran shook his head. "I can assure you, Ma Ma, I can handle myself. If there's one person who needs to be careful, it's the Kinomoto girl."

Ye Lan stared at him in the eye, looking for something that would convince her that her son was going to be okay. "Alright, if you say so. But all the same, be careful, my son. I don't want you to get hurt."

She seemed to hesitate for a while before sighing. "I'll be staying for a while with Fuu Tie."

Syaoran's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Ye Lan looked away. "I really don't think I'd enjoy living under the same roof with _her_."

Syaoran let his mother's reason sink in. He understood perfectly, yet he couldn't help the feeling of increasing hatred towards his soon-to-be wife. She was taking away the things important in Syaoran's life bit by bit.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tonight. After the wedding, I'll be leaving with Fuu Tie." Ye Lan gave her son one last smile and cupped his cheek. "Don't hesitate to call when you need anything."

Syaoran could only nod.

Ye Lan let out a shaky breath and a tear leaked from her eye. "You look so much like your father when we got married."

Unable to help herself, Ye Lan pulled Syaoran into an embrace. "I know I don't say it much… but my son, I love you… very much."

"I love you, too, Ma Ma."

* * *

The wedding went without much fanfare. While the media was blocked from entering the hotel, it didn't stop them from fielding outside the premises. For someone who was on top of the society ladder, the wedding was relatively small. Only a handful of the bride's and groom's family and friends were present. His cousin Mei Ling and her husband, the bride's brother, were conspicuously absent. The bulk of the guests were business tycoons from Hong Kong and Japan.

There was no doubt in Syaoran's mind that Kinomoto Fujitaka was the one who invited them. Syaoran frowned as he watched his new father-in-law mingle with them. They all seemed to be engaged in a casual conversation. And judging by the looks of grudging admiration they were throwing at his father-in-law and Fujitaka's gloating expression, Syaoran could surmise what they were thinking. Fujitaka and his daughter had succeeded in what no other father or woman had.

Syaoran stole a glance at his new wife. Beside him, Li Sakura ate her meal quietly, unmindful of the flurry around her. Syaoran couldn't quite put a finger on it but, while he had only met Sakura once, there was something different, _off_ about her. Maybe it was in the way she sat, straight and rigid, Syaoran thought. Or maybe it was the fact that she absolutely refused to look at him, much less talk, unless she was supposed to. No stolen glances were made by those green eyes and Syaoran didn't know if he should be bothered by that.

He wondered if their first kiss had something to do with her behavior. A smirk crept on Syaoran's lips as the scene replayed in his mind. He had been determined to make the girl as uncomfortable as possible from the very start of their marriage. So instead of simply placing an innocent peck on her lips, Syaoran held her close against him, ran his hands down her back, and gave her the real deal, tongue and all. He had secretly hoped her father felt scandalized as he watched him give his daughter a French kiss. He only stopped when, after pulling her soft body closer to him, he heard Sakura let out a whimper and felt her small hands attempting to push him away. He ended the kiss there, not daring to push his luck lest she decide to shove or slap him. He wasn't sure if his ego was prepared to take the embarrassment.

After dinner, the newly married couple were forced to share a dance together. That was one of the most awkward moments of the night. It was evident that neither were into the dance, or into each other. By the middle of the song, Sakura caught her husband by surprise when she asked him, hissing, to stop touching her back. Syaoran raised a brow at her and muttered a curt "fine" before sliding his hand down to her waist. By the time the dance was finished, whispers were flying that the hours-old marriage was already on the rocks. Nobody, however, dared to speak up.

By eleven in the evening, it was all over. Guests, families, and friends departed, and soon, Mr. and Mrs. Li Xiao Lang were making their way to spend their wedding night at the Li estate. They were greeted by Wei and Yuan who gave their best wishes for the couple.

"The Li household wishes you many years of good companionship, Master and Mistress Li," Wei congratulated.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. The greeting was a mockery of his feelings.

"Thank you," Sakura mumbled and smiled weakly in an attempt to be polite.

"I want to rest now," Syaoran said to no one in particular. As tired as her new husband sounded, he did not look like he was. In fact, he looked more annoyed than tired so Sakura took it as a message that meant she should stop all the niceties with Wei and Yuan for now.

"Your rooms are ready, Master Xiao Lang," Yuan told him.

He responded with a slight nod and a grunt before heading towards the staircase, Sakura trailing behind him.

As they made their way, it was only then did Sakura realize how big the house was, even bigger than their mansion back in Japan. After passing about five rooms, Syaoran stopped and turned to her.

"This is your room," Syaoran told Sakura, motioning to the door with a jerk of his head.

"We don't share the same room?" she asked in surprise before she could stop herself. Heat flooded her cheeks when she realized what she just asked. The least she wanted to do was to give him the impression that she was hoping they share the same room. Or bed.

His brows furrowed in annoyance. Green eyes stared back at him meekly and Syaoran had to reel in his irritation, smoothening out his face.

"No." He gave no further explanation and she did not ask any more questions. "It's been a long day. Good night."

He was about to turn on his heels and stride towards the opposite direction when she stopped him.

"Wait!"

Syaoran lifted a brow.

Sakura managed to squirm under his gaze, ashamed to be asking her request. "C-can I… ask for someone to assist me… to take off… this d-dress?"

Syaoran struggled to keep his face as passive as possible. The rising intensity of his dislike for his new wife showed no sign of stopping. How prissy can this Kinomoto girl be?

"I'll send a maid to your room," he told her brusquely. With that, he turned and left her.

* * *

There was little time for Sakura to admire the grandiose bedroom that was given to her. The pain on her back was worsening, begging for her attention. The material of her dress clung to her healing wounds and it didn't help that her husband had to unwittingly stroke her back a few times. All throughout the ceremony, she was struggling to show no sign of pain. Now, her main problem was to get out of her dress as unscathed as possible.

There was a gentle knock on her door and Sakura prayed to Kami-sama that everything will go smoothly.

"Come in," she croaked.

The door opened and a petite girl with black hair and gentle brown eyes entered. "Good evening, Mistress. Master Xiao Lang sent me here to help you with your dress," she explained with a smile.

Sakura could only nod. "Thank you… what's your name?"

"Jia Zi, Mistress."

"Um…" Sakura was trembling. "Yes, can you unzip the back for me, Jia Zi?"

Sakura inhaled and exhaled deeply as she leaned against a dresser to allow the girl access to her back. The hours of struggle and pain were taking a toll on her and the tears were beginning to form in her eyes. She felt Jia Zi fumble with the zipper.

"Gently, please," Sakura breathed.

She felt the back of her gown slowly open and couldn't help but let a whimper escape her lips as the lining detached from the wounds. Sakura gritted her teeth and trembled with pain.

Behind her, Jia Zi gasped.

"Mistress!"

* * *

In his study, Syaoran helped himself with a glass of whiskey. He needed alcohol to calm him, if not help him forget what just had happened. This was certainly not how he pictured himself getting married. While he made no explicit plans of getting married before, Syaoran knew marriage was in his future—his far, far future. He was the head of the clan and the position came with the need of having a son for his heir.

He glared at the gold ring that now encircled his fourth finger. "I hope Kinomoto Fujitaka rots in hell."

"Strong words, Master Xiao Lang," a voice joined him in his contemplation.

Syaoran turned to find his nanny Yuan by the door of the study.

"You would be wishing for the same thing if it happened to you," he muttered.

"The girl seems nice, doesn't she? Lovely eyes, I must say," Yuan mused.

"Don't let her pretense fool you," Syaoran told her. "She's not to be trusted. And that's an order, if you ask."

Yuan looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well… would it be okay if I talk to her once in a while? I would imagine it would be lonely for her to be all alone in a foreign country."

Syaoran snorted. "She asked for it. But do whatever you like."

He was rewarded with a smile. "Thank you, Master Xiao Lang."

"Just report to me immediately if something's… off," he added.

Yuan laughed. "You don't have to tell me that. You know my loyalty is with this family."

Suddenly, the door to his study opened and the maid he ordered to assist the Kinomoto girl undress scurried inside, pale and panicking.

"What now?" Syaoran barked.

"Forgive me, Master Li… the Mistress… s-she… she's…" the girl struggled to find the words, her hands flailing.

"Jia Zi, calm down. What is it that you're trying to tell us?" Yuan attempted to soothe the girl.

But Jia Zi did not calm down. Instead, she began to sob. "Mistress Li… she needs help… she—"

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Angrily, Syaoran stood and stormed out of the study, Yuan and a still distressed Jia Zi in tow.

Bounding up the stairs, he was ready to give the Kinomoto girl a piece of his mind. In this house, she was no princess and will never be one.

"Kinomoto, what in the world—" his rage got stuck in his throat and turned to sheer horror the moment his eyes took in the scene before him as he entered his wife's room. His blood ran cold.

Li Sakura stood leaning against her dresser pale and sweating as her face contorted in pain. Her red silk wedding dress was zipped open down to the small of her back, leaving her skin bare for everyone in the room to see. On her bare back, Syaoran saw five long crisscrossing gashes bleeding bright red.

 _WHAT THE F-CK?!_

It was nothing Syaoran was prepared for. Someone had brutally inflicted the wounds on the girl. Someone had barbarically whipped her.

Beside him, Yuan gasped, horrified.

"Mistress, I'm sorry!" Jia Zi cried.

Sakura let out a cry of pain and it was then that Syaoran's senses seemed to returned.

"Nana, call Eriol. NOW!" he roared.

Buddha, what kind of girl did Kinomoto Fujitaka have him marry?

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Author's Note:** Soooooo… how was it? Whaddya think? Lemme know so send me your reviews! Love love love!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of its characters.

 **Author's Note:** Thank you so much! I was amazed by your reviews! On with Chapter Six, Read and review.

* * *

 **PERFECT STRANGERS  
** _Dream of Autumn_

 _vi._

Hiiragizawa Eriol wiped the sweat on his brow as he stared at the sleeping form of the girl who was now his cousin-in-law. Li Sakura, pale and drenched in her sweat, lay on her stomach wearing Syaoran's shirt backwards to keep her injured back open. Eriol shook his head in disbelief, the tenth time he did since arriving at the estate. The last thing he expected to happen on his cousin's wedding day was to get a frantic call from Syaoran's caretaker Yuan asking him to go to the estate immediately. The sudden request of his presence baffled Eriol but he drove out nonetheless. Nothing, however, could have prepared him for the reason he was called upon.

He recoiled in horror when he saw Sakura's back. For him, the whipping was a work of a madman.

He spent what felt like hours treating Sakura's wounds, working painstakingly slow in dressing the wound. While he gave Sakura a shot of an opioid to alleviate the pain while he treated her, Syaoran continued to breathe down his neck, ordering him to slow down with every moan and whimper of pain that Sakura made until she finally succumbed to the lethargic effect of the drug.

Eriol allowed himself to yawn as he descended the stairs. It was already half past midnight and he was supposed to go on a 24-hour shift at eight in the morning. He'd have to spend the night at the estate.

* * *

Syaoran shut his eyes while cradling his head, his elbows resting on his knees. He was coming down with a headache and he didn't know if it had anything to do with the alcohol. He had left Sakura's room a little while ago, after Sakura fell asleep, to throw up. His stomach could only take so much. And in his lonesome, the guilt was eating him up. No wonder Sakura was pushing him away when he was feeling up her back.

"Mind if I crashed here for the night?" Eriol's voice came.

Syaoran lifted his head to meet Eriol's stare, looking a bit pale and shaken. "Be my guest."

Eriol observed his cousin. "You okay, Xiao Lang?"

"I threw up a bit," he admitted, leaning back on the sofa. "I guess I drunk a little too much alcohol."

Eriol raised his brows at him. Syaoran was never one to throw up when drinking, not when he's dead drunk with the strongest alcoholic drink nor when he's suffering the nastiest hangover. Vaguely, his thoughts drifted to Sakura's gashes.

"The wounds were superficial," he told him as he sat down next to him. "And I can tell that they already put some antibiotic on it—"

"I don't give a fucking damn if they're superficial or not!" Syaoran snarled. "Whip marks, Eriol! Who does that these days?"

Eriol didn't answer.

"He's the devil, Eriol, I tell you," Syaoran continued.

There was no need to ask who Syaoran was referring to.

"Xiao Lang, we haven't proven anything. We're not sure if it was her father who did that."

But Syaoran was adamant. "There is nothing to prove! Who else could have done that? I certainly don't think that those were self-inflicted."

"Of course, they aren't!" Eriol exclaimed.

But Syaoran wasn't listening. "Only a devil like Kinomoto Fujitaka could do something like that to his own daughter."

He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled, as if doing so would numb the headache down.

Eriol sighed. "So, what happens now?"

Syaoran creased his brows. "What do you mean?"

"What do you do with her?"

It was Syaoran's turn to be silent. He haven't thought about that. His mind was still in a muddle.

"I don't know."

* * *

Morning came yet sleep was elusive to Syaoran. Each time he closed his eyes, the image of Sakura's whipped back came haunting him and jolted him awake. Whenever he woke up, he took it upon himself to check up on her. Sakura remained peacefully asleep, the analgesic effectively working on her system.

It was only after Eriol left at around seven did Syaoran give up trying to sleep. He resigned himself to the assumption that sleep would come when it would.

"Your tea, Master," Jia Zi said as she placed the teapot and the cup in front of him. He mumbled a small 'thanks' before helping himself with a cup. Green tea was never his cup (no pun intended) but at the state he was in, it seemed like a good idea.

He was supposed to be back at the company working, having scheduled several meetings for the day in an attempt to spite his bride. The only problem was he couldn't find it in himself to leave Sakura. Inwardly, he groaned. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to hate the girl for ruining his life. He was supposed to be making her miserable yet here he was, in their first day as a married couple, worrying about her. He was supposed to be doing everything in his power to send her back to Japan but here he was, convincing himself that she was better off in Hong Kong rather than have her stay in the same country with her father.

"This isn't right," Syaoran whispered to himself. _Why isn't everything going as planned?_

As if the fates knew he needed an answer, Wei appeared in the dining room bearing news that Kinomoto Fujitaka had arrived and wanted to see Syaoran.

Instantly, Syaoran's blood boiled. _The nerve of this man to show up!_

Clenching his fists, Syaoran stood and marched to the reception room.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"Good morning to you, too, Xiao Lang," Fujitaka merely sneered, dark eyes glinting, showing no sign of surprise at the rough greeting. "I won't be staying long. I'll be leaving for Tokyo by noon. I've come to bring the papers for the transfer of my company shares. You've done your share of the deal; I think it's time for me to do mine."

The older man handed him a manila envelope which Syaoran roughly took. Quickly, he scrutinized the documents, cautious of any loophole that might have been inserted in the terms. When he found nothing questionable of sort, he shifted his gaze once again to his father-in-law.

"So, that's it then?"

"Is there anything that has been left out?"

It must have been due to the lack of sleep but Syaoran's thinning patience and tolerance for the man finally reached their limits.

"You must be proud of yourself for beating up your own daughter like that, aren't you?"

To Syaoran's surprise, Fujitaka laughed. His brown eyes darkened as the older man stared at his son-in-law.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Fujitaka smiled as if he knew of a secret that Syaoran did not. "If I didn't have the decency to teach my daughter a lesson, you would not have your company back in your hands, Li Xiao Lang."

" _Decency_?" Syaoran hissed the word in disgust. "Would you care to enlighten me, Fujitaka, what part of whipping your daughter is considered decent?"

"My daughter wanted to run away from the marriage, just so you know, and she almost did," Fujitaka told him as-a-matter-of-factly, the tone of his voice raising.

"You should have let her."

"You should be thankful I got to her just in time or else I would have turned Li Corp into a subsidiary of Amamiya."

"Should I say 'thank you', then, _Father_?" Syaoran spat contemptuously.

Fujitaka smiled derisively. "It's up to you, _Son_."

The word Fujitaka called him sent the Chinese man shuddering. What god did he displease to have had the misfortune of having this man for his father-in-law?

"You must be proud of yourself, then."

The smile turned into a grin. If anything, Fujitaka looked menacing. "I do pride myself in being able to discipline my children."

Syaoran clenched his fists. "You are one sick man. I could report you to the authorities, you know that."

The grin on the older man's face did not falter. "I'd like to see you try."

Syaoran glowered.

"As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I don't want to be late for my flight. So, I'll take my leave now. Send my best regards to Sakura, will you?"

Without waiting for Syaoran's response, Fujitaka departed.

* * *

The prickling on her back became more acute as Sakura drifted to consciousness. She turned to her side and had to moan when the pain intensified.

"I'd do it more slowly if I were you," said a deep voice.

She blinked the sleepiness away and allowed her eyes to focus. She stifled a gasp when she realized where she was. Whimpering, she slowly sat up and saw Li Syaoran, the man who was now her husband, standing by the foot of her bed with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

He regarded her with expressionless amber eyes and Sakura couldn't help but feel conscious. She could feel his gaze roam down from her face and Sakura modestly drew the thick covers towards her chest.

She felt uncomfortable with the silence that settled between them so she broke it with the first thing that came into her mind.

"What time is it?" she asked, softly.

"It's half an hour past noon," he answered.

"I've been out that long?" her eyes widened in realization.

He shrugged. "You looked like you needed the rest."

Once again, quiet ensued. Syaoran shifted on his feet.

"Your father sends you his regards." His tone was laced with sarcasm. Sakura knew too well why. He had seen what her father had done to her. No sane father would abuse his child and just 'send his regards' after.

"He came here?"

Syaoran nodded. "He didn't stay long. He just came to give the papers for the company. He's on his way back to Japan now."

"Oh…" was all she could say.

"Did you want him to stay?"

His turned to mocking and Sakura frowned.

"Of course, not."

Amber eyes continued to pierce her green ones and Sakura held his gaze boldly.

"Why…" he started to say before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why did you let him do that to you?"

Sakura fidgeted as she felt her cheeks go hot. For all she knew, he thought of her as some sort of masochist.

"I… I deserved it," her answer came out as a whisper.

The crease between his brows furrowed deeper.

"Deserved it?" he echoed. "To be whipped? For running away from marriage?"

 _He knows_ , Sakura realized. Her father must have told him what happened. About her failure to keep the both of them free from the marriage they never wanted in the first place.

"How could you let your father hurt you?"

Sakura frowned. He was being too damn self-righteous for his own good. He was spoke as if she wanted it to happen. "You wanted to hurt me, too."

In the place where he stood, Syaoran paled and froze at what she said.

Dryly, she smiled at him. "I heard you and your cousin talking… the night we were introduced."

His face flushed crimson upon realizing his dialogue with Eriol had been heard. Coughing, he looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

"I was being stupid."

"No," she shook her head. "You were being true."

Once again, he coughed and willed himself to look at her, determined to defend himself from whatever preconceived notion she might have of him. "I… I was… I mean…" he was at loss for words.

"You don't have to explain. I know. I understand." Her eyes were soft and sympathetic.

"W-Was… Was that why you ran away?" he had been almost reluctant to ask, afraid of the answer. He didn't know if he could forgive himself if he was part of the reason her father had punished her so brutally. She might have been his reluctant bride. But reluctant or not, no one deserved to be treated so.

She didn't even bat an eyelash when she confirmed his fear. "Partly."

Syaoran felt his stomach coil and his blood ran cold again. "I-I'm sorry."

Apologize. That was all Syaoran could do. As hard as it was for him to say the words, his conscience rang too loudly for him to ignore. His moment of reckless rage had unwittingly pushed this girl to do something as careless.

To his astonishment, Sakura chuckled. Syaoran didn't know if she was insulting his feelings of guilt—guilt that had been plaguing him the past twelve hours.

"Don't be. I don't remember you saying I should run away and disappear from the face of the earth," she said, her green eyes twinkling. "It was my decision. Not yours or anybody's."

She said it in a way that almost convinced Syaoran that it was solely her fault for getting herself hurt. _Almost_. But Syaoran wasn't the heartless monster she might have judged him to be. He would be damned if she thought of him as someone like her father.

"Still, I'm sorry… For whatever pain I was responsible for." He thought of his actions the day before. How he felt up her back inappropriately, wanting to horrify her and her father.

The curve on her lips lingered, her eyes giving him a knowing look. She understood what he was talking about.

"Why did your father want us to marry, anyway?"

It had been the question that nagged him to no end ever since. From the way Kinomoto Fujitaka was acting, Syaoran knew he wanted this marriage worse than Syaoran ever wanted his company back. Of all the people in the world, why was he singled out?

Sakura's face turned regretful. "Otou-sama wouldn't tell me."

"Oh… I see." There was no point in pressing. Syaoran would rather eat dung than talk to his wife's father for answers.

"What happens to us now?"

"What?"

"Neither one of us wanted to get married," Sakura pointed out. "But seeing we legally are m-married now…"

The light shudder she made when she mentioned the term 'married' did not go unnoticed. Syaoran's mouth ran dry as he pondered how he would answer her. He _had_ given it some thought. He uncrossed his arms and slipped his hands into his pockets, assuming what he perceived was a relaxed position.

"W-Well… if you don't mind, I think it's better for you to stay here in Hong Kong for the moment. I don't think your father will like it very much if you return to Japan so soon."

She moved her head to a slight tilt and all Syaoran could think of was how he could get a taste of the smooth, creamy skin of her neck.

"What are you suggesting, then?" she asked, failing to grasp his train of thought.

Syaoran inhaled deeply. "W-We could live together for the meantime… in this house, of course. A-And maybe just… live our own lives… mind our own businesses."

She fixed her gaze on his as she thought about his proposition for a moment. Syaoran marveled at how easy she was to read. He could almost hear her thoughts. She was so open.

Then, she broke into a smile. "I don't mind that. Thank you."

"Y-You're welcome." He hesitated for a moment before he continued, "Feel free to make this your home."

The smile on her face widened and Syaoran unwillingly acknowledged the truth to Eriol's opinion of her looking like an angel.

"Thank you," she repeated. "I'll try not to get in your way."

It was Syaoran's turn to beam at her. "I'd appreciate that."

Their first two weeks as a married couple went by fast. Sakura continued to work as Vice President for Amamiya Corporation within the confines of the Li estate, while Syaoran resumed control over Li Corporation. Much like what they agreed upon, they kept their businesses to themselves and respected each other's personal space.

In the two weeks they lived together, Syaoran saw the side of Sakura he knew her father didn't know. Far from the meek, prim and proper girl he was acquainted with a month before, he found that she was a bit of a daredevil. He received quite a shock one night when, upon arriving home, Wei had informed him that Sakura took Jia Zi paragliding and parasailing and will not be expected to come home until the next day. For a girl Syaoran mistook as prissy and prude, she certainly had no qualms about doing just about anything.

She had a sweet, easy laughter that drew people to her and she had a way of having people open up. In a span of two weeks, she earned herself the admiration of the people inside the house, especially young Jia Zi who just about adored everything about her new mistress.

Syaoran, however, kept her at a distance. He savored having his own little bubble, never having had to share it with someone before.

Occasionally, husband and wife would spend time together during dinner. Sakura would surprise him by showing off her cooking skills; the same way Syaoran returned the favor by whipping up what he knew how to cook.

It was an easy truce that was unexpected yet welcome for the two, and Syaoran, to his own astonishment, thought that if it continued to be this way, he wouldn't mind being married to Kinomoto Sakura for a long time.

* * *

Syaoran was working overtime in his study one Thursday night. He was due to present his proposals to a potential partner in Tokyo in a fortnight and the company hoped to secure the nod of their prospect. When the clock struck eleven, he was ready to call it a night and was already fixing his files when the door to the study squeaked open and Sakura poked her head inside.

"Hi! Are you busy?" she greeted him, her tone cautious.

"No, it's okay. I'm done," Syaoran told her, proceeding to shut down his laptop. The rest of his work, he decided, can be finished tomorrow.

Sakura hesitated first before entering the room. Syaoran kept his face devoid of any emotion as he took in her appearance. She looked like she was just about to go to sleep, wearing only a dark t-shirt and shorts. Her face was fresh and scrubbed free of the light makeup she usually wore. In their two weeks of living together, Syaoran was pleased to know that she was one of those girls who looked better without makeup.

Smirking, he asked her, "Is there anything I can do for you, Mrs. Li?"

Sakura's head snapped up and she threw him a glare. He gladly responded with a wink. It was times like these that he thoroughly enjoyed his wife's company, even though his entertainment was at Sakura's expense. He knew full well that it annoyed her to be called such. The first time somebody referred to her as Mrs. Li, their guest had to repeat it six times before Sakura realized with horror that their guest was talking to her. A highly amused Syaoran resorted to calling her Mrs. Li the entire evening to 'help her get used to it'. 'Mrs. Li' pointedly ignored him the next day.

"I was going to ask if it's okay with you if I go and see Eriol."

The smile on Syaoran's face fell and turned into a frown. "May I ask why?"

"I'm due for my check-up," she considerately reminded him. "And I never got to properly thank him for looking after me. So, if it's fine with you, I want to treat him to lunch as my way of showing my gratitude."

Syaoran pondered for a moment. "You want to take Eriol out for lunch?"

"To thank him," Sakura repeated, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

He stared at her, unsure of how to respond to her request.

"It's not a date, if that's what you're thinking," she shook her head and refuted what she knew was running through his mind, pink slowly coloring her cheeks.

Eriol and Sakura out for lunch together, alone, seemed harmless. Syaoran trusted his cousin was not foolish enough to do something that would damage his, Syaoran's, or even Sakura's reputation. Sakura, on the other hand, seemed genuine with what she said were her intentions. But there was no shortage of paparazzis in Hong Kong salivating for something scandalous to plaster on the tabloids, and the reclusive Lis were among their most sought-after subjects. The wheels in Syaoran's mind kept turning until he finally yielded.

"Alright, but I'm going with you."

Sakura looked at him in surprise. "You will?"

"I'm not going to let Eriol have Mrs. Li all to himself, you know," he teased her.

"Won't I… get in your way?"

Syaoran's expression turned soft when she let him know of her true apprehensions. She had thought that she would be a bother to him. Truthfully, Syaoran appreciated Sakura's conscious effort to maintain their boundaries. Sometimes, she makes it so easy for him to forget whose daughter she was and why they got married.

"Don't worry about it," he placated her with a smile. "I've been planning on visiting him myself but Eriol normally doesn't want to be bothered without any reason. At least now I have an excuse."

Sakura looked like Christmas came early. "Thank you."

"And… if you want _we_ could go on a date after." Syaoran didn't know what pushed him to say it. It seemed like it was a good idea.

"That would be nice. I've never been on a date before," she mused.

What followed was deafening silence as shock registered on Syaoran's face with her confession. Sakura had never been at all embarrassed by her dating history (or apparent lack of). But Syaoran was reacting like it was a crime that she began to wonder if it was a bad thing to have learned the art of rebellion only a month ago.

Unnerved by his response, Sakura turned beet red. "W-Why don't we pretend I never said that," she suggested.

"What do you mean you've never been on a date?" Apparently, Syaoran was not ready to drop the topic.

Still red in the face, Sakura waved him off. "It means what it's supposed to mean. Anyway, if it suits both of your schedules, please tell Eriol we'll meet him Saturday noon. If not, let me know. Good night—"

"B-But surely you've had boyfriends before, right?" Syaoran, much to Sakura's chagrin, has not yet moved on. So sue her for being the obedient, virtuous daughter.

"No," Syaoran's eyes only grew wider at her response. "—Xiao Lang, is Tin Lung Heen fine with you?"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Amber eyes were wild with disbelief.

Sakura snorted. "I'm not pretty enough, you see. And I'll take that as a yes, now if you would please—"

It was Syaoran's turn to snort.

Green eyes narrowed dangerously at the doubting man. "You know for someone who didn't think I could match up to _better-looking women_ , you take a lot of convincing about abysmal dating history."

Syaoran had the decency to blush as he remembered the words he said the night they first met. "You'd never let me forget that, won't you?"

"Nope," she said gleefully. "Now be a darling and call your cousin while I take care of the reservations. Good night!"

And she sauntered out of the study, leaving an incredulous husband struggling to come to terms with her admission.

* * *

Eriol studied the pair before him. It had taken him by surprise when Syaoran called him and asked if he was available to meet up with him _and_ Sakura Saturday noon. He was indeed available for the day. But Syaoran's calm demeanor towards the wife he supposedly despise puzzled Eriol, in a good way. The two appeared relaxed and civil when he met up with them at his and Syaoran's favorite restaurant.

"You know you really didn't have to do this, Sakura," Eriol told her once they got settled.

"Nonsense, Eriol," Sakura said. "I haven't thanked you for what you did. It's the least I could do."

"You've been here before?" Eriol asked, noting that she seemed to know what she wanted to order right off the bat.

"Thrice with Tomoyo and once with my brother," she confirmed.

"Tomoyo was your maid of honor, right?" His thoughts flew to a pale girl with dark hair and violet eyes who kept on giving him dirty looks no matter what compliment he threw at her. Even his average Japanese, for the life of him, could get him in her good books.

She nodded.

"When was the last time you've been here?" Syaoran asked Sakura.

Eriol blinked. _Comfortable, aren't they?_

"Hmm…" the green-eyed girl tried to recall. "I think it was a little more than a year ago when Tomoyo had a fashion show at The Space."

"A fashion show, eh?" Eriol's curiosity was piqued.

"Tomoyo's a designer. She made my wedding dress—"

Sakura cut herself off at the mention of her wedding dress, as if the thought of it elicited bad memories. Uncomfortable silence enveloped the table.

"Anyway, Tomoyo's beginning to make a name for herself in the international scene. She just opened a new branch in New York, her first in the US, and from what I heard, she's planning to open another one in Los Angeles."

"She must be really good, then," Syaoran remarked.

"She is," Sakura affirmed proudly.

The trio continued to talk about their lives and just about anything under the sun over lunch. Eriol, despite having just gotten off from his hospital duty, kept his exhaustion at bay. He took delight in the company Syaoran and, to his surprise, Sakura gave him. Just as much, he reveled in seeing the two of them comfortably enjoying each other's company. When Sakura excused herself to go to the ladies' room, Eriol nudged Syaoran.

"What?"

Eriol wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "So… you and Sakura?"

Syaoran scowled at him. "Don't give yourself any ideas. It's nothing like that."

"I don't think there's anything wrong if it's something like that. You _are_ married."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "We sort of came up with an agreement. This marriage will continue until we agree that we are unable to. For the meantime, it's all about minding your own business. And hey, let me tell you, it works!"

Eriol clucked his tongue. "I'm happy to know you are being civil with one another. But you know… she's not bad. Not bad at all."

The brown-haired man continued to frown. "And so what if she's not bad?"

Eriol leaned towards him. "Why not give it a shot, Xiao Lang? She's beautiful, smart, hot, rich, beautiful, smart, hot—"

Syaoran groaned. "You do know who you're talking to, right? Don't think I haven't noticed how attractive she is."

"What's keeping you, then?"

"She's not actually fling-material, Eriol," Syaoran said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You think I'm persuading you to have a _fling_ with her?" Eriol wanted to laugh.

"Aren't you?"

Eriol shook his head. "I'm talking about _marriage_ , Xiao Lang. Why not give your marriage a shot?"

Syaoran looked at him as if he sprouted another head. "Eriol, do you hear yourself? I hadn't plan on getting married until I was forty."

Sometimes, knocking some sense into Li Xiao Lang leaves Eriol quite exasperated.

"Yeah, well I thought I would be married by the time I was twenty. Get over it, Xiao Lang. Sometimes, your plans are just that. Sometimes, life gives you something better. And that woman you just married, she definitely isn't fling-material, Xiao Lang. You know why? Coz she's _wife_ - _material_!"

"Then, why didn't _you_ marry her if you think she's so _wife_ - _material_?" Syaoran all but hissed.

"Who's wife-material?"

The cousins almost jumped to see Sakura standing by their table, a mixture of confusion and curiosity decorating her features.

Mortified to have been caught yet again, Syaoran blurted out the first name that came into his mind. "T-Tomoyo! Eriol thinks Tomoyo is wife-material."

Eriol's face was drained of whatever color there was as he looked on helplessly at his cousin. "E-Excuse me?!"

There was a transition of expression on Sakura's face: surprise turned to wonder before it became pure delight.

"You do?!" Sakura's face shone like the sun. "That's wonderful, Eriol! Now that you've mentioned it, I think you and Tomoyo do look good together!"

Eriol's jaw slackened. If he had been drinking, he was sure he would've been choking by now. "Excuse me?!"

Sakura, however, seemed oblivious to his situation as she took her seat beside Syaoran.

"I think Tomoyo's planning to come here in Hong Kong soon! If you want, I'll let you know so you could plan. Not that I'm pushing you to date Tomoyo but…"

Across him, Syaoran looked on gloatingly as his wife continued to ramble her matchmaking plans. Eriol didn't have the courage to tell Sakura that everything was all a mistake, a ploy by her nonsensical husband. Doing so would open up the truth that it was actually _she_ that Eriol thought as wife-material. _That_ would be awkward. So he simply sent his dear cousin the evilest look he could muster hoping he understood that, one of these days, there would be payback.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Author's Notes:** Was it too much? Too fast? Too inconsistent? Or did you like it? I'm actually scared of your reviews because I don't know how this chapter fared with you. But I hope you did like it! This is just the beginning of more SxS and this story still has a long way to go. Let me know again what you think! Your reviews are highly valued!


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